Press contact: Kyla Kruse
SPRINGFIELD — A total solar eclipse will be visible from southern Illinois on Monday, April 8. While the eclipse will still be visible from the Springfield area, it will not quite be total. Lincoln Land Community College is providing an opportunity for those not making the journey to southern Illinois to still experience the total solar eclipse through the college’s Facebook page and activities on the LLCC-Springfield campus during the Solar Eclipse Watch Party from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Samantha Reif, LLCC professor of geology, will be in southern Illinois and going live on Facebook every half hour starting at 12:30 p.m. to show what the sun and surrounding environment look like, provide information on the astronomical event and answer questions from viewers.
“Illinois is set for a rare, twice-in-a-lifetime event — back-to-back total solar eclipses crossing the exact same spot. Carbondale played host in 2017 and will do so once again on April 8 of this year,” says Reif. “We’ll be using technology to enable students, faculty, staff and community to still have an opportunity to experience what a total eclipse is like.”
Those who follow LLCC’s Facebook page will receive notifications when live video feeds are taking place. The video will be available on the LLCC Facebook page afterward as well.
Reif’s live-streamed videos will be shown on a screen in A. Lincoln Commons on campus. The LLCC Library will be handing out solar eclipse glasses during the event while supplies last. Other activities include exhibits from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois State Museum; music from DJ Yinka; and space-themed snacks. The Logger Activities Board will help event participants to also make pinhole viewers to safely view the eclipse event.
“It’s important to keep safety in mind when viewing the eclipse,” explains Reif. “Eclipse glasses can be used, or welding glass #12 or 13 can be used to directly see the eclipse. Sunglasses provide no protection.”
Reif says indirect viewing is safe and easy. “A pinhole viewer can be made by poking a hole through a piece of cardboard, stiff paper or even a paper plate. Turn your back to the sun, hold your viewer in front of you so the sun shines on it and project the shadow onto the sidewalk. The hole will project a perfect, clear image of the sun and the moon passing in front of it.”
LLCC’s Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/LincolnLandCommunityCollege. Reif also has more information about solar eclipses available on youtube.com/@llccedu.