The atmosphere was electric as people cheered in anticipation as darkness spread across the University of Central Arkansas on April 8, 2024, for the solar eclipse.
Will Slaton with the Department of Physics and Astronomy knew, after viewing a partial eclipse in Missouri in 2017, that the event of a total solar eclipse in 2024 would make history in Arkansas.
“I came back and started talking to my [department] chair, Dean Addison, Provost Poulter, and just pushing that up the chain and saying, ‘We have got to be able to have something for Arkansans.’ What we saw in Missouri was amazing, so I am happy we were able to have a welcoming, open environment, an open campus for people to be on the Stripes, and a STEM outreach where people were talking with scientists and science students about different aspects of science and technology,” said Slaton.
When asked about the event, Director of Astronomical Facilities Scott Austin agreed that this eclipse was special. “During totality, the Moon covering the Sun will look like a black hole in the sky surrounded by the Sun’s corona.
The sky will look like late evening twilight and will be dark enough to see the brighter stars and planets that will be up. The temperature will decrease, and birds and other animals will think sunset is occurring. For UCA, this will be a total solar eclipse. For any particular spot on the Earth, the occurrence of a total solar eclipse is rare, with an average frequency of one per 375 years,” Austin said.
As the date drew near, years of planning came to fruition on UCA’s campus. Notable pre-eclipse events included eclipse or space-themed talks and lectures from scientists, including NASA astrophysicist Amber Straughn; Eclipse planetarium shows at the Dr. Edmond E. Griffin Planetarium; a lecture from Morton Brown ’96, creator of Luna: Eclipse Superhero inflatable; and a session on how to capture images of the eclipse with 2016 UCA Distinguished Alumni Award winner James Neihouse, and book reading by children’s author Darcy Pattison.
The campus hosted two watch parties on eclipse day. A countdown to totality was performed at Estes Stadium while viewers listened to eclipse-themed music. The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics hosted learning activities for children and adults, including scientists, to answer questions about the eclipse.
Across campus from Estes, in front of the College of Business, the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences hosted Dog Barkanalia and “Put the World on Paws,” an event in which guests were invited to bring their dogs and crocheted afghans and then donate them to local animal shelters. The event included music, a dog costume show, a puppy kissing booth, and many vendors.
More than 3,000 visitors came to the university for the eclipse event. Visitors came from across America, Canada and beyond to experience totality, an event that would not occur again until 2045.
Sarasota, Florida, residents John Kampmann and Michelle Flynn planned to observe and photograph the eclipse in Uvalde, Texas, until weather reports indicated cloudy conditions. After some research, they decided to come to UCA for the viewing experience.
“Conway is a delightful town, and this campus is beautiful,” said Michelle. Being dog lovers, the two opted for the Barkanalia viewing event. “The fact that this university has a partnership with dog service programs and is so supportive of that makes my heart happy,” she said. “This is an incredibly impressive event. It is just so family-friendly and welcoming.”
Meanwhile, at Estes Stadium’s watch party, Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Wendell Manning of Monroe, Louisiana, was preparing to experience totality after a four-hour drive. “I was watching PBS, and Arkansas had a special on watching the eclipse in the state. I saw some of the activities in Conway and the events the university was hosting, so I decided to drive up. We had several people I know from Monroe who’ve taken off and come up here. I’m excited to be here.”
President Houston Davis said, “What I loved about the day was all that work was about providing this educational moment. We had families and young people excited about science, about the relationship to this event, to their education, and their schooling. That, to me, was worth it all, but a lot of work went into it. We had a lot of people: Dr. Will Slaton, Dr. Gayle Seymour, and Amy Whitehead, who had worked for years to prepare for today. We had a marvelous event on the UCA campus. It was a great day for Arkansans to experience that special moment. It was a great day for Conway. It was a great day for UCA.”
