ST. CROIX — A total solar eclipse that was seen today across parts of North America still wowed spectators in the territory despite only partial coverage as the path of totality crossed the U.S. mainland.
“It’s very interesting for the Virgin Islands to see an eclipse,” Nichelle Gordon, a freshman at the University of the Virgin Islands majoring in process technology, said after viewing the event from the Albert A. Sheen Campus. “Even though we can’t really see it as the other states, it’s still fascinating to just experience this moment here in the Virgin Islands. It was very, very cool to see it.”
Virgin Islanders joined millions of sky-gazers across the nation today as they attempted to get a glimpse of a total solar eclipse during a viewing party at the University of the Virgin Islands, but the rare celestial event proved underwhelming in the territory as the path of totality crossed the mainland.
Shaneya Forbes, a junior at the University of the Virgin Islands with a dual major in communications and computer science, viewed the spectacle through a welding mask.
“I’m looking to participate in seeing just a little partial bit of the solar eclipse,” she said, adding that she was “excited” to see the rare event. “Even if we can’t see the whole, so we’re in the complete darkness, it’s still a really fun experience to be able to go outside with all my fellow classmates and just enjoy some time together.”
The 115-mile wide path of totality headed northeast across northern Mexico, 13 states, and eastern Canada during an approximate five-hour period, providing optimum viewing for more than 31 million Americans. The total solar eclipse started in northern Mexico and ended in eastern Canada after crossing 13 states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Today’s total solar eclipse was the first to cross the states since August 21, 2017. The total eclipse of 2017 was the first in 99 years to cross the U.S. mainland from coast to coast. While there will be six more total solar eclipses throughout the world during the next six years, there won’t be another one visible across the U.S. mainland for another two decades.
The sun’s diameter is about 400 times larger than the moon’s diameter, and the sun is almost 400 times farther away from Earth than the moon. This combination makes the sun and moon appear nearly the same size in the sky, setting up a spectacular show when they align.
Although the moon completely covered the sun, casting a shadow that turned day into night for a few minutes in multiple cities throughout the nation, there wasn’t much of a view from the Virgin Islands. The peak viewing time on St. Croix was from 3:01 to 3:43 p.m. as the moon’s shadow crossed a portion of the sun on the bottom right. The spectacle could only be seen with eclipse glasses.
Michael Henry, associate physics professor at UVI on St. Croix, spoke about the chances of seeing the total eclipse from the territory ahead of the phenomenon.
“I think they’re predicting about 4% coverage, so from our angle of view the moon would only cover about 4% of the sun,” he said.
Henry, who serves as UVI’s director for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration South Carolina Space Grant Consortium, has also taught high school science and math. He discussed how the total eclipse provided a learning opportunity in the territory.
“I think that this is a prime opportunity to bring up the discussion and for teachers to talk about the solar system, the Earth’s revolution around the sun, the moon’s revolution around the Earth, and that can introduce a whole lot of physics to students at all levels,” he said, adding that physics takes a long time to really understand so it is taught using repetition. “This creates an opportunity to start getting students and young people to pay attention to the world around them.”
Although the view wasn’t great from St. Croix, about a dozen spectators still attended a viewing party at UVI’s Albert A. Sheen Campus because the occasion was so rare. And the experience was still awe-inspiring for those who viewed it through the eclipse glasses.
“I think it was just spectacular,” Elaine Clarke, an accountant in the UVI business office, said after seeing her first solar eclipse. “I totally enjoyed it.”
Toi Matthews, UVI’s acting director of Campus Operations, said viewing the eclipse was an “amazing” experience.
“I’m very thankful to be a part of this and have an opportunity to be here with my colleagues and the students to experience such an amazing event,” she said.
Eric Flynn, a UVI junior majoring in computer science, said his first solar eclipse was “interesting” to see.
“You don’t see that every day so, like, it’s very special,” he said. “I can’t wait to see, like, a full one one day.”
The event, which was coordinated by the campus bookstore, also coincided with the birthday of the bookstore’s business assistant, Devon Pelle.
Shay Roberts, manager of the campus bookstore, said the idea to hold a viewing party came about after Pelle expressed interest in purchasing eclipse glasses for himself. The bookstore ordered extra glasses, which were available for spectators to use at the event.
“It’s not something you get to see everyday,” Pelle said.
Pelle said the viewing party was a good opportunity for college students to experience an event that rarely happens.
“I think that’s behind the spirit of what this is, just like getting students to come out and experience the world around them,” he said. “And we try to do that a lot here at UVI.”
