On Monday, April 8th a solar eclipse occurred across the United States, with Lexington having the Sun almost entirely blocked out at 96% totality. While solar eclipses happen every few years globally, solar eclipses in the United States specifically are much rarer, with the last one occurring in 2017. Transylvania students made sure to get a good view of the obscured sun, gathering in front of Old Morrison and Alumni Plaza during the peak of the eclipse between 2:30 and 3:30 P.M.
Transylvania University gave out free solar eclipse glasses to students in the weeks leading up to the eclipse; however, the glasses issued had fake approval from the American Astronomical Society. This resulted in the university warning students not to use the fake glasses in TNotes days before the eclipse and supplying proper glasses to students the day of the eclipse. The eclipse itself received mixed reviews from students. Some students reported that watching the eclipse left them in awe, while others were disappointed due to the cloudy conditions and not being able to get a good view of the sun and moon.
Nonetheless, this year’s solar eclipse was still a sight to behold (that is if you had proper eyewear) and it was a great opportunity to experience such a rare event here at Transy! The next total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States will not be until 2044, so make sure to save your eclipse glasses for then!
