Building a Better View of the Solar Eclipse
Gannon University’s SPS engineering student team leader Claire Rogillio presents an eclipse window to Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and astronaut Warren ‘Woody’ Hoburg.
Gannon University SPS Chapter.
Our SPS chapter saw the April 8, 2024, eclipse as a great opportunity to impact our community. We visited 12 schools before the eclipse, giving informative yet entertaining talks and passing out eclipse glasses to participants.
We also constructed large, temporary, outdoor viewing screens several feet across that enabled people to view the eclipse side by side, as a community, without the need for personal protective eyewear. They allowed educators to connect with the public more easily and fostered a community atmosphere, as well as serving public health and safety. We made nine of these devices, eight for the downtown Erie, Pennsylvania, community and one for the Boy Scouts of America, for only the cost of materials. On the day of the eclipse, we also brought eight telescopes equipped with solar filters to downtown observing sites; some of the solar filters were even constructed in-house!
