Partial solar eclipse locally entertains hundreds on MTSU campus

Wearing protective eclipse glasses, Middle Tennessee State University students gaze into the sky Monday, April 8, in the MTSU Quad area near the James E. Walker Library on the campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn., checking out the solar eclipse that brought 93% totality to the local area. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — As the solar eclipse peaked at 93% totality locally just after 2 o’clock Monday, April 8, on the Middle Tennessee State University campus, several groups of mostly MTSU students began cheering the rare, natural phenomenon.

It had been seven years since the 2017 Great Tennessee Eclipse brought 100% totality for about two minutes on campus and it will be 20 years until the next solar eclipse crosses North America.

Middle Tennessee State University junior microbiology major Victoria Gamez of Winchester, Tenn., takes eclipse photos with her cell phone near the MTSU Observatory on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. An estimated 300 people gathered in that area on the west side of campus. (MTSU photo by Randy Weiler)

People sit on benches in the Middle Tennessee State University Quad area on the MTSU campus to view the solar eclipse that brought 93% totality to the Murfreesboro, Tenn., area. About 200 people viewed the eclipse in the quad on Monday, April 8. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and families with children out of school for the day converged on campus for the Great American Eclipse 2024. While it appeared weather might dampen things, Mother Nature delivered a mix of sun and clouds to the early afternoon astronomical event.

At the eclipse’s peak, the sky darkened slightly. Some people said birds stopped chirping and bees momentarily quit pollinating clover in the grass.

Hundreds of people — many of them MTSU students — showed up, far exceeding expectations. They congregated at the MTSU Uranidrome, the naked-eye observatory on the edge of Walnut Grove, and the nearby telescope-equipped observatory on the west side of campus and in the MTSU Quad in the heart of campus.

Using Middle Tennessee State University Physics and Astronomy eclipse glasses, an MTSU student views the solar eclipse from the Quad area Monday, April 8, on the MTSU campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. An estimated 650 eclipse glasses were handed out for the event. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Victoria Gamez, 20, a junior microbiology major from Winchester, Tennessee — Victoria Games

Among them was Becca Kinturi, 18, a freshman visual communications major from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, who said she was yelling, “‘Go sun,’ giving it encouragement. The one in 2017 was a lot better. I was expecting it to get completely dark (it didn’t). It was still cool.”

Taking eclipse photos with her cell phone along with many others, Victoria Gamez, 20, a junior microbiology major from Winchester, Tennessee, said the gathering near the observatory “feels like community. I went to the one in 2017 in my hometown and it’s kind of like this. The eclipse is beautiful.”

Jaylee Claud, 19, of Smyrna, Tennessee — Jaylee Claud

Devin Smithwick, 21, a senior audio production major from Duluth, Georgia,said he “hadn’t seen this many people hanging out. It’s cool to see people coming out and enjoying themselves.” He brought a laptop, “checking to see where the eclipse is in other places.”

Freshman digital marketing major Jaylee Claud, 19, of Smyrna, Tennessee, said she “loved to see everybody come together. It’s nice outside, but the clouds are getting on my nerves. They keep covering the sun.”

The MTSU Department of Physics and Astronomy handed out more than 650 eclipse glasses. Professor Eric Klumpe opened the observatory for more than two hours, answering questions and sending the telescope’s eclipse image to two large screens outside the observatory and one inside.

The next solar eclipse in the continental U.S. will be Aug. 23, 2044.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)