MIT Community Celebrates 93 Percent Solar Eclipse Totality

On Monday, the stars and celestial bodies truly aligned for the MIT community as clear skies and warm temperatures prevailed, allowing everyone to witness a rare partial solar eclipse—the only one in the next 20 years.

While many enthusiasts ventured north to experience a total eclipse, those in Greater Boston were treated to an impressive 93 percent coverage. The MIT campus became a hub for people to come together to enjoy this cosmic spectacle.

As the moon began to cover the sun around 2:15 p.m., Kresge Oval buzzed with excitement. Staff distributed various solar filters and encouraged the starry-eyed audience to sketch their eclipse sightings and share stories. This event was organized by the MIT Edgerton Center and inspired by the seminar EC.050/090, titled “Recreate Experiments from History: Inform the Future with the Past.”

Meanwhile, the MIT Museum offered a comprehensive afternoon of programming, featuring an astronomer who engaged attendees with insights while they observed with solar filter glasses.

Within Building 55, home to the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), participants were treated to sights and sounds from NASA’s live stream displayed on a large media wall.

The scene at each gathering could easily have been plucked from a sci-fi film, as everyone donned their eclipse glasses, gazing skyward in awe. Those with extra eyewear readily found new friends to share the experience.

“The Edgerton Center is all about building community; this event brought together the MIT community to witness a rare occurrence and have meaningful conversations about it,” shared Jim Bales, associate director of the Edgerton Center.

Throughout history, celestial events have often incited fear and confusion. However, this time, attendees were more inclined towards appreciative reflection. Students, faculty, and staff took a break from their daily routines to marvel at this extraordinary natural spectacle, providing a refreshing distraction from an otherwise ordinary Monday.

“Watch parties are great because you not only learn from others, but you also get to meet new people,” remarked sophomore Sol Roberts. “You can only look up for so long, but sharing it with others makes the experience far more enjoyable.”

Of course, MIT didn’t stray from its scientific mission. Community members engaged in both professional and amateur science initiatives. The Haystack Observatory in Westford, Massachusetts monitored atmospheric changes, while the Department of Physics gathered data on the sun’s intensity utilizing the newly installed radio telescope on the roof of Building 54.

As surreal as the skies may have seemed, the gatherings on the ground provided their own delightful sights. This celestial event transformed into a local celebration of an extraordinary astronomical phenomenon shared among friends.