On April 8, 2024, at 3:11 p.m., an event that had been predicted and planned for years arrived at BGSU, uniting the learning and greater community in three minutes of celestial spectacle. The Great American Total Solar Eclipse, the rare occurrence of the moon completely blocking out the sun, plunged the skies over Bowling Green into darkness and the event served as a reason to celebrate – and educate – during the eclipse viewing party at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.

University photographers Craig Bell, Justin Camuso-Stall '14 and Haven Conn '22 as well as student photographers Nico Kvalheim, Nicholas Polace and Keira Ellenberger and social media team members Juwaan McGee and Brielle Somodi '22 captured the excitement of the day.

Anticipation built through the morning as students, faculty and staff as well as out-of-town guests, families and astronomy enthusiasts gathered at the stadium and surrounding areas, their eyes trained on the sky.

Coordinated by a multi-disciplinary eclipse planning committee with members from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Musical Arts, and University Libraries, the day's events consisted of educational activities for adults and youth alike, musical performances by the Falcon Marching Band, student-led science activities, music specially composed by students for the eclipse, games and inflatables, and food trucks with eclipse-themed cuisine.

Skywatchers donned special eclipse glasses — dark, safe lenses that revealed the sun as a crescent as the moon moved in front. The falcon-themed glasses were provided to eclipse watchers for free by BGSU and were collected for recycling afterward. The Doyt took on a tailgate atmosphere as the crowd waited for the big event to arrive as students, families, friends and coworkers sprawled on picnic blankets, sharing stories and making memories.

Attendees enjoyed a guided walk through the eclipse, courtesy of Dr. Andrew Layden, chair of the BGSU Department of Physics and Astronomy. Layden cued the crowd to phenomena they were experiencing, such as changes in temperature and light levels, and instructed people when to wear their eclipse glasses and when it was safe to remove them in totality. 

Then, at 3:11 p.m., silence fell. Eclipse glasses lifted. Darkness crept in, and the sun vanished. The corona blazed — a cosmic halo. For three minutes, attendees stood in awe. Then, cheers and applause. The BGSU eclipse party left skywatchers spellbound.