Fox Cities News

Physics professor Megan Pickett is eagerly anticipating the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8 and is determined to share this celestial event with the Lawrence University community and beyond. Pickett, who will be live streaming the eclipse on YouTube from Austin, Texas, a location in the path of totality, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "I’ve been looking forward to this eclipse—and the previous eclipse in 2017—since I was in grad school at Indiana University in the early ’90s."

Pickett, known for her research on the formation of solar systems, previously worked at NASA's Ames Research Center before joining the Lawrence faculty in 2006. Reflecting on her first total eclipse experience in 2017, Pickett described it as a "moving, deeply transcendent moment" that brought her to tears. Anticipating a similar emotional reaction this year, she is prepared to stream the event for viewers.

As the eclipse approaches, Pickett emphasized the importance of safe viewing practices, advising against directly looking at the sun during the partial eclipse and recommending alternative methods such as projecting the image using natural pinhole cameras. For those within the path of totality, Pickett detailed the unique experience they can expect, including the visibility of bright stars, planets like Jupiter and Venus, and the sun's reddish prominences.

Encouraging people to witness this rare event, Pickett highlighted the significance of the eclipse's path crossing multiple metropolitan areas and estimated that millions of individuals may travel to witness the phenomenon. With the eclipse being the last visible from the lower 48 states until 2044, Pickett stressed the importance of taking advantage of this opportunity.

Pickett will commence her live stream from the beginning of the eclipse until just after totality, providing viewers with a glimpse of the celestial spectacle from Austin. With the eclipse set to be visible from 1:32 to 1:41 p.m. CST in Austin, spectators can anticipate approximately 1 minute and 46 seconds of totality at around 1:36 p.m.