December Solar Talk

On April 8, 2024 there will be a total solar eclipse visible across a large part of Vermont. To help prepare for this event, the Weathersfield Proctor Library is hosting a presentation at 11 AM on Saturday, 2 December 2023, by a member of the Southern Vermont Astronomy Group (SoVerA). 

The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse SUMMATION: The total solar eclipse of 8 April, 2024 is significant because it will be within a day’s drive of one of the most populous regions of our planet. This is a double-edged sword. It is certainly an opportunity for a huge number of people to experience a rare – even once in a lifetime – natural event that stuns many. But it also means it will be important to inform that same population about the simple but important cautions to be taken, as well as optimal ways to observe the spectacular event. Southern Vermont Astronomy Group (SoVerA) member, Claudio Veliz, will discuss why we have a moon in the first place, and why we are so fortunate as to experience these events. Then, how to prepare for the eclipse, where to be, and what to do if it’s cloudy, will all be covered. The presentation will be graphic-rich, with additional material provided for those who wish to delve deeper into the subject matter. Safe solar filtered glasses will be handed out to in-person attendees, complete with instructions as to how to use them when this stunning event arrives.

Claudio Véliz pursues twin professions in architecture and astronomy. He has owned an award-winning architecture firm – Claudio Véliz Architect PLLC/AIA - since 1982, designing residential, institutional, municipal, retail and corporate facilities. In his astronomy track, he was Co-Founder, and twice President of the Southern Vermont Astronomy Group (SoVerA), headquartered in Chester, Vermont. Now lecturing in the CALL Program at Keene State College, New Hampshire, previously he worked and lectured at New York’s Hayden Planetarium, and at the Astronomy Departments at Columbia University, and Castleton University.