Thousands attend annular eclipse viewing at Scobee Education Center

It was an event that promised to be amazing and awe inspiring – the rare annular solar eclipse that would pass over 圣安东尼奥 skies.

The Scobee Education Center marked the occasion with “La Fiesta Del Sol: Celebration of the Sun,” a free eclipse-viewing event on the 圣安东尼奥学院 campus on Saturday, 10月. 14.

Thousands of people showed up to the Scobee Education Center to see the eclipse, 当月亮经过太阳和地球之间的时候, 明显地阻挡了太阳光. 圣安东尼奥 was positioned directly in the path of the annular eclipse, 创造了一个见证这一现象的独特机会.

“圣安东尼奥 was one of the best places on earth to view the annular eclipse,里克·瓦尔纳说, 斯科比教育中心主任.

However, the event got off to a cool start with cloudy skies threatening to dim the excitement.

这并没有阻止人们享受这一天. SAC hosted a variety of activities in a festival-type atmosphere, 包括儿童动手活动, 斯科比天文馆的项目, 快餐车, 舞台:有扬声器和音乐的舞台, 还有更多.

The event was funded in part by a NASA 社区 Anchor Award given to the Scobee Education Center in recognition of its role as a local community resource supporting STEM (science, 技术, 工程, 数学)教育. The Center is one of 21 institutions across 16 states selected for the award.

The Boeing Company also has provided funding as part of an additional grant to help educate our community on the importance of space. Boeing employees in Houston work 关闭ly with NASA at the Johnson Space Center to provide 工程 and manufacturing support for the International Space Station during its more than 20 years of continuous human habitation.

The Celestron Telescope company provided special solar telescopes for safely viewing the sun, 在斯科比教育中心的帮助下, 美国天文学会, 和SAC物理学会的学生.

全国知名的天体物理学家和作家. 杰弗里·贝内特在活动上发表了讲话. Bennett has devoted his career to math and science education. He has taught at every level from preschool through graduate school. He is the author of seven award-winning science books for children and most, 最近, he received the Klopsteg Memorial Award for education from the American Association of Physics Teachers.

班纳特的新书名为 整体! 《澳门新葡京博彩》， 在活动的签售会上有空吗.

大学 社区团体也出席了会议. SAC’s First Responders Academy had police and firefighting vehicles on campus for guests to inspect up 关闭.

H-E-B handed out free samples of its “Texas Starry Night” ice cream and 快餐车

including 375˚ Catering, Midnight Smokers BBQ, and A Twisted Taste were available on campus. 

Several members of the media were also at Scobee to capture the event, 包括圣安东尼奥快报, KSAT 12新闻, KENS5, WOAI和KABB-TV, 天气频道和西班牙语网络.

幸运的是, the skies cleared and the crowds cheered as the eclipse reached its maximum point just before noon and Johnny Cash’s song “Ring of Fire” played across the campus.

Varner recommends that guests keep their solar filter glasses from this event for another rare celestial event coming to the area soon: a total eclipse of the sun on April 8, 2024. 

  While annular eclipses occur approximately every 18 months in different locations around the world, it’s a unique experience to be directly in its path like 圣安东尼奥 was on 10月 14, 更罕见的是在一年内经历两次日食, 说走. It’s a phenomenon that won’t happen again in 圣安东尼奥 until Feb. 25, 2343.  

圣安东尼奥学院的Scobee教育中心是一个22,000平方英尺的设施结合了Scobee天文馆, 下一代挑战者学习中心, 新开业的桑迪科斯微航天员中心, 还有一个屋顶星空甲板和天文台. The Center is dedicated to engaging students and the community in life-changing experiences that inspire pathways to Science, 技术, 工程, 艺术, 和数学(STEAM)职业.

囊,