West Virginia Northern Community College hosts Solar Eclipse viewing event

West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) is hosting a near Total Solar Eclipse Viewing event on Monday, April 8, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the B&O Building back plaza on the Wheeling Campus. The Eclipse will reach near totality at 98% between 3:12 p.m. and 3:14 p.m. in Wheeling.

Hosted by the WVNCC Astronomy Club, the event will take place when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow and creating a period of darkness lasting several minutes. Attendees can safely view and track the rare phenomenon using free viewing glasses and several telescopes, courtesy of the WVNCC Astronomy Club. A 30-minute pre-eclipse presentation will begin at 2 p.m. in the B&O Building. In addition to outdoor viewing options, the Eclipse will be projected live via Zoom and inside the B&O Auditorium for those who prefer to experience it indoors. If people are unable to attend they can use the Zoom link on the College’s website to view the event. The College will also utilize drones to capture the sights during the event. The next total Eclipse in the US will take place in 2044. 

“Total Solar Eclipses are truly remarkable phenomena and this viewing event provides a unique opportunity for our community to come together, learn and marvel at this spectacle,” commented Said Leghlid, advisor to the Astronomy Club and assistant professor of communications at WVNCC.