Edinboro Eclipse: A first Glimpse
Edinboro P.A.- On Monday, April 8, an extravagant event is on its way to grace the skies of the Edinboro and Erie areas: a solar eclipse! These regions will experience the entirety of this rare event because they fall under totality. This galactic display happens when the moon fully blocks out the sun, exposing the sun’s corona.
For residents residing within the Pennsylvanian area (NWPA), this event will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Starting at 2 p.m., the moon will slowly cover the sun until around 3:15 p.m. Total darkness will remain for around three minutes until the moon begins to reveal the sun once more.
According to Pennsylvania state police, an estimated two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand people are heading over to the Erie area to see this rare astrological event. Local residents are encouraged to stay at home and enjoy the special occurrence from the safety of their own homes.
Not only is this recommendation given due to the crowds coming up to view the solar eclipse, but also because of how the traffic will be backed up. According to Dr. David Hurd, the police said they expect the interstate to have a ten-hour congestion time, making travel in and out of the state difficult.
Above is a graph showing how many of those viewing are visitors and how many are local residents.
Currently, the population of Erie County is around one hundred thousand. With the event more than tripling the population, questions relating to the strain of wifi, plumbing and electricity are all being addressed by city officials.
All police officrs from the Edinboro area will be dispatched to discourage any aggressive behavior with the larger crowds. Other tasks include ensuring the proper departure of those leaving the event and being first responders in case of an emergency.
Despite the commotion that will ensue from this large migration of sun-spotters, classes will continue as usual. Mary Carden, Dean of Arts and Education, who’s in charge of eclipse event and logistics planning at Pennwest, said that “faculty are being encouraged to move to remove delivery or to offer an asynchronous alternative assignment.”
By creating alternative options for class activities, the university hopes to encourage campus residents and commuters alike, to enjoy the festivities and ensure safety with the large event. The Pennwest Edinboro campus will be providing special sunglasses to attendees of the campus’s watch party held near Mallory Lake.
Other attractions will be provided starting at noon. Along with the student radio station, 88.9 WFSE, the event will host food trucks, educational programming, merchandise and more to celebrate this galactic gathering.
Remember to wear eye protection when viewing the eclipse and to make sure to keep an eye out for children without their glasses on. More information can be found on the Pennwest Edinboro Eclipse Page.