Solar Eclipse

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse moved across North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. While Connecticut was not directly on the path of totality, Wesleyan and Middletown community members gathered together on Foss Hill in communal awe to witness the partial solar eclipse in an event co-hosted by the Astronomy Department and Middletown’s Russell Library.

 

ON THE COVER: Cat Hou ’26 provided the photo that graces the cover of the Summer 2024 issue of Wesleyan University Magazine. Taken during the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse, the image captures the sun as seen through one of the eight-inch telescopes in Van Vleck Observatory. The sun appears red because it was taken through a neutral density filter, which allows safe observation of the sun. Darker spots represent particularly cold areas (though comparatively still hot) that are the result of fluctuating temperatures on the surface of the sun.