On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross the sky over Richmond, Indiana for four minutes, starting at 3:07 PM. The IU East campus is in the path of totality, which means that viewers of the eclipse will see the sun completely obscured. This is a rare event, and the next eclipse of this kind is not expected to occur in this area until 2044.
The library has plenty of resources to assist in understanding the universe. A good introductory source would be books on basic astronomy. While the library has access to dictionaries and textbooks on astronomy, it also carries more popular materials as well. Astrophysicists like Neil DeGrasse Tyson and well-respected scientists such as Stephen Hawking are represented in our collections , as well as beloved classics like Cosmos and newer titles with a diversity focus like The Disordered Cosmos. The library also can acquire loans from other libraries, expanding further the books that members of the IU East community can access.
Science-based databases can also help with understanding the natural phenomena behind eclipses, black holes, planetary forces and other quirks of the universe. PLOS , also known as the Public Library of Science, is an open access database with articles freely available on all science-based topics, including eclipses and astrophysics. Other excellent broad-spectrum science databases include Science, which is a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the prestigious journal Nature, which covers all topics related to science and technology, and Web of Science, which features science stories from all disciplines. NASA also maintains an exemplary set of resources focused on space-related topics.
Author and science communicator Philip Plait, whose book Bad Astronomy is available in the library, will be coming to campus on February 27, 2024. His second book, Under Alien Skies, is the subject of an IU East book club hosted by the Center for Faculty Development. Contact CFD by October 6 to participate. His book is also connected in with this year’s National Day on Writing. To participate, there is a writing prompt focused on a passage from his book that can be submitted to IU East Writing Program chair Kelly Blewett. All writing prompt responses are due by October 5 and responses will be shared publicly as part of National Day on Writing celebrations, which will take place on October 12.
The IU East Campus Library is an ideal knowledge partner in seeking resources about the upcoming total solar eclipse. Want to learn more about why eclipses occur? Interested in careers in astrophysics, astronomy or other science-based topics? Curious about phenomena like black holes, white dwarfs or red giant stars? Ask us! iueref@iue.edu or click this button:
