Give PEA students permission to witness the Great American Total Solar Eclipse!
Give PEA students permission to witness the Great American Total Solar Eclipse!
The Issue
We urge the PEA Administration to reconsider the erroneous decision to keep students from traveling off campus for the April 8 2024 Great American Solar Eclipse.
It is a misconception that a partial eclipse, even one with 95% totality, is an adequate replacement for a total eclipse. The following excerpt from NPR describes the vast difference between a partial eclipse and a total one:
“It’s 100% or nothing,” agrees Fred Espenak, a retired NASA astrophysicist who has experienced 30 solar eclipses. “There’s such a radical, dramatic difference between a 99% partial and a 100% total. There’s no comparison.”
During a total eclipse, the sky darkens suddenly and dramatically. The temperature drops. Stars come out. Beautiful colors appear around the horizon. And the once-familiar sun becomes a black void in the sky surrounded by the glowing corona — that’s the ghostly white ring that is the sun’s atmosphere.
“It seems supernatural,” says Espenak. “It is so beyond the scope of normal, everyday existence that it seems dream-like or hallucinogenic.”
A partial solar eclipse offers none of that magic.
This issue is urgent and important precisely because it is unprecedented. The last time a total eclipse crossed in our region was over half a century ago. After April 8, the contiguous United States won't see another total solar eclipse for another twenty years. Moreover, the 2044 eclipse will only be visible from the less-populated states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana.
Some people fly thousands of miles for the chance to experience totality. In Exeter, on April 8, we will have the extraordinarily rare privilege of being just a few hours' drive from it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the literal sense of the word. Thus, it is no surprise that students and faculty members alike are so eager to travel to see it, and the PEA Administration should understand this and support their interests.
We passionately implore you to reconsider your decision and allow students the joy, wonder, awe, and seismic perspective shift of witnessing the total solar eclipse on April 8.
The Issue
We urge the PEA Administration to reconsider the erroneous decision to keep students from traveling off campus for the April 8 2024 Great American Solar Eclipse.
It is a misconception that a partial eclipse, even one with 95% totality, is an adequate replacement for a total eclipse. The following excerpt from NPR describes the vast difference between a partial eclipse and a total one:
“It’s 100% or nothing,” agrees Fred Espenak, a retired NASA astrophysicist who has experienced 30 solar eclipses. “There’s such a radical, dramatic difference between a 99% partial and a 100% total. There’s no comparison.”
During a total eclipse, the sky darkens suddenly and dramatically. The temperature drops. Stars come out. Beautiful colors appear around the horizon. And the once-familiar sun becomes a black void in the sky surrounded by the glowing corona — that’s the ghostly white ring that is the sun’s atmosphere.
“It seems supernatural,” says Espenak. “It is so beyond the scope of normal, everyday existence that it seems dream-like or hallucinogenic.”
A partial solar eclipse offers none of that magic.
This issue is urgent and important precisely because it is unprecedented. The last time a total eclipse crossed in our region was over half a century ago. After April 8, the contiguous United States won't see another total solar eclipse for another twenty years. Moreover, the 2044 eclipse will only be visible from the less-populated states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana.
Some people fly thousands of miles for the chance to experience totality. In Exeter, on April 8, we will have the extraordinarily rare privilege of being just a few hours' drive from it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the literal sense of the word. Thus, it is no surprise that students and faculty members alike are so eager to travel to see it, and the PEA Administration should understand this and support their interests.
We passionately implore you to reconsider your decision and allow students the joy, wonder, awe, and seismic perspective shift of witnessing the total solar eclipse on April 8.
Victory
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Petition created on April 3, 2024