On the day of April 8th, 2024, Bloomington, Indiana, was buzzing with excitement as thousands gathered at Dunn Meadow for a once-in-a-lifetime experience: witnessing a total solar eclipse. The path of totality which carried across Bloomington allowed out of towners, and locals to share this unique experience.

In anticipation for the big event, IU astronomy professor Songhu Wang had this date marked on his calendar. Wang, an astronomy expert, described the process needed in space for a total eclipse to occur on earth.  

“The moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, but it’s 400 times close to us (earth), that makes the moon and sun look almost similar in size in the sky, so when the alignment is perfect we will see the total eclipse somewhere on earth.”

 

 

That “somewhere on earth” happened to pass over three different countries, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. After passing through Texas, Arkansas, and up through the midwest, right at 3:06 PM the path of totality made its stop in Bloomington. The thousands gathered at Dunn Meadow enjoyed an afternoon of live music, spikeball, cornhole, and an array of food trucks and ice cream stands. 

For Songhu, he believes this total eclipse can raise awareness for astronomy, and even encourage new generations to express further interest in space-study. Songhu details, “The national attention is here, so that would definitely create more next generation future astronomers”. Being an astronomer and dedicating one’s life to the field, makes witnessing a total eclipse in real-time that much more meaningful.

For Songhu, the nationwide attention from the public allows astronomers to have a platform to share their knowledge. It’s not often people think about the everyday life of astronomers, but with an upcoming total solar eclipse, it’s astronomers that have the floor. 

Wang says, “Astronomy is an exciting and fascinating field, but it’s also a niche field so people really don’t think about astronomy in their everyday life. But it’s amazing to me that it attracts so much attention from the public and we can communicate our science to the public”. 

In a world full of polarization, April 8th 2024 brought forth a sense of true community for those gathered to share this otherworldly experience. 

The “fun (not) under the sun” event at Dunn Meadow hosted five different bands, and set a vibrant atmosphere for the public to enjoy. The various bands played all types of music. From quintets, jazz, and rock covers, the live music played a key piece in creating the lively atmosphere. 

While the expected 300,000 person crowd might not have arrived in Bloomington in full force, IU Bloomington classes, and a good majority of local businesses shut down to enjoy this extra special occasion. 

No matter if you drove five hours, watched from your backyard, or took a seat in Dunn Meadow, this spectacle will be forever etched into the memories for those enjoying 2024’s total solar eclipse.  

Another total solar eclipse wont appear in North America again until 2044, this time only visible in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.