The Total Solar Eclipse Through the Eyes of UT Students
With anticipation surrounding the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, students at the University of Texas at Austin gathered at several sun spots on campus to view the totality.
The University prepared an event for students after canceling classes during the time of the total eclipse. It included live music from the Longhorn Band, free eclipse glasses and eclipse-themed snacks like Moon Pies and Sunchips. As this event was a rare occurrence, people of all walks of life joined on campus to enjoy it.
“The next total solar eclipse that will be somewhere in the continental U.S. is in 2044,” said Keely Finkelstein, associate professor of instruction in UT’s Department of Astronomy. “That's not coming through Austin or Texas, so for most people, it's kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Isaac Prieto, a junior civil engineering major, walked excitedly to the UT Tower, accompanied by friends, to see the eclipse and hear the band play.
“I felt amazed when I watched the eclipse,” Prieto said. “I’ve never experienced a total eclipse before, and it got very dark, which I was expecting, but not to the degree that [it] happened.”
A big concern for many Austinites awaiting for the eclipse was the weather. The forecast predicted cloudy coverage on the day, which impaired the viewing experiences in numerous areas.
“The clouds did affect my viewing for most of the eclipse. However, for the exact totality, I was able to see the ring of light around the moon for a split second,” Prieto said.
The totality occurred from around 1:36 p.m. to 1:38 p.m. The darkened sky was illuminated by the orange light from the UT Tower as the moon completely covered the sun. As the sight unfolded, people began taking out their phones to photograph and video the eclipse, cheering at the phenomenon.
“As we approach totality, you can notice gradual drops [of] the air temperature dropping by 10 or more degrees,” Finkelstein said. “Listen for different animal noises: bird sounds, insect sounds, because to them, it will also feel like nighttime is approaching.”
With the excitement surrounding the day, some students left content, while others left underwhelmed. Yesenia Monterroza, a sophomore communications major, wasn't even planning on viewing the solar eclipse, but went at the last minute when she heard others talk about the importance of it.
“Due to the cloudiness, I didn't necessarily get to see the totality as it happened, so for me, it just wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be,” Monterroza said. “Many people around me were ‘ooo-ing’ and ‘ahh-ing’ and cheering, and I just didn't have the same reaction as them.”
Despite this, Monterroza still enjoyed the opportunity to be at this rare event.
“I'm very happy that UT recognized the importance of it and allowed the opportunity to see it for ourselves and even provided the necessary materials such as the sunglasses,” Monterroza said.
Many students enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the total solar eclipse, which hadn’t made its way over Austin since 1397.
“I'm not sure when I'll be able to experience this [again] and I think it's important for us to still participate in monumental events like this,” Monterroza said.
Graphic by Neha Madhira