On February 26th, Indiana University Kokomo hosted a presentation on eclipses in Havens Auditorium. The Kokomo community gathered to listen to Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer, talk about the upcoming eclipse coming through Kokomo on April 8th.
On April 8th, the United States will go through a rare celestial event: a total solar eclipse. The shadow of the moon will fall along a narrow path across the US, including part of Kokomo, Kokomo’s campus will briefly enjoy about 40 seconds of totality. During the specific time slot of 3:07:58, the sky will go dark but be warned, staring at this without special protection could cause damage to your eyes.
“Looking at this phenomenon without protective glasses could lead to temporary blindness as well as permanent damage,”
According to Dr. Plait’s website, badastronomy.com, he is a science junkie who debunks myths and misconceptions in astronomy.
“I feel obliged to right these wrongs when I can,” Plait says. Plait first became interested in astronomy when he was a boy and his father bought him a telescope.
“He aimed it at Saturn that night and from there I was hooked,” Plait recalls. Plait would go on to earn his Ph.D. in astronomy at the University of Virginia. Using this knowledge, he propelled onto the scene and started gaining notoriety as a blogger. Plait would go on to star in Crash Course: Astronomy, a 47-episode YouTube series that you might have watched in school.
“This was a big nerd moment for me,” Mike Glassburn said. “I attended the dinner with Dr. Plait before the presentation and it was overall a really good experience.
“I enjoyed the presentation, and I am now ready for the eclipse,” Senior Bryce Jennings exclaimed.
