April 9, 2024

A Cosmic Celebration

Montclair State University community takes a break to enjoy the spectacle of the solar eclipse

Students watch the eclipse, while sitting on the grass. — With up to 90% of the sun covered by the moon during the eclipse, the moon's shadow created an interesting effect.

Hundreds of students, faculty and staff came together as a community to celebrate the eclipse on campus Monday, using safety solar eclipse glasses, pinhole viewers and a telescope with special filters provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department. While Montclair was not in the path of totality – it was close. And the 90% partial eclipse provided a surreal and cosmic reason to party.

PHOTO GALLERY

Students lay on the ground with solar safety classes on, looking at the sky.

A professor looks through a high-powered telescope set up for the eclipse watching party.

Students and a mascot look in a cereal box made as a solar pinhole viewer.

A student looks up wearing solar safety glasses.

A crowd of students gather, with one looking through solar safety glasses.

President Jonathan Koppell and students watch the eclipse. — President Jonathan Koppell, top left, and students watch the eclipse. (Photo by Rita Walters)

A crowd gathers for an eclipse watching party.

Students with solar eclipse glasses look up, one smiles.

A student looks up wearing his solar eclipse glasses.

Students look into cereal boxes used as pinhole eclipse viewers. On the side reads "What is this, Solar Eclipse City?" and "Solar Eclipse Rizz Party."

A woman in red wears eclipse glasses to see the sun.

A sliver of the sun shines past the moon with a building in the foreground.

Photos by John J. LaRosa for Montclair State University.