Crowds of glasses-clad onlookers filled Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in University Park on Monday for an astronomical phenomenon that briefly darkened the skies over central and northern Pennsylvania.
State College sat in the path 95% totality of the solar eclipse that dimmed sections of North America. At the ballpark, Penn State’s Eberly College of Science hosted SolarFest. Various organizations handed out free eclipse glasses and presented science-themed activities.
Though much of the eclipse was obscured by gray clouds and rain, glimmers of the event were sometimes visible.
Kevin Luhman, a professor in Penn State’s astronomy and astrophysics department, manned a large solar telescope. He said members of the crowd seemed to be “taking the clouds in stride.” Solar eclipses, Luhman said, can serve as useful tools for astronomers who study the sun, particularly its outer layers.
Abby Dougherty and her mother, Ellen Dougherty, said they didn’t expect to see the eclipse through the clouds, but seconds later a brief glimpse emerged.
“It looks like an upside-down smiley face,” Abby said as she looked through her glasses.
Sam Rudy said he enjoyed the event regardless of the gray skies. He said it reminded him of the power of “Mother Nature.”
“She does what she does, and it wasn’t our time to see it in darkness,” Rudy said.
Rudy said residents of Happy Valley love to gather for events like Arts Fest or football games. The eclipse, he said, is just another example of that.
“We were going to get what we were going to get,” he said. “At least we got it together.”
The next solar eclipse in the United States will be in 2044.
