IOWA CITY, Iowa — Thousands of students, faculty and other spectators gathered outdoors Monday, April 8, 2024, at the University of Iowa for solar eclipse viewing parties.
The University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy and Sciences Library hosted viewing events on the Pentacrest and in the Sciences Library Courtyard on Iowa Avenue in Iowa City.
Lines queued up for free eclipse viewing glasses, some classes moved outdoors during the time of the eclipse from 12:46 p.m. to 3:16 p.m., and several solar telescopes were set up to view the partial eclipse.
Nearby, some students even took to their rooftops for better viewing.
Gregory Howes, professor in the UI Department of Physics and Astronomy, said while Iowa City will experience partial eclipses in 2028 and 2029, the next total eclipse for the continental United States won’t be until 2044.
Gregory Howes, professor in the University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
More from Iowa City: See photos from the Carver-Hawkeye Final Four watch party
Iowa was not in the path for this year’s total eclipse, but parts of the state reached near-totality, and cheers erupted about 2 p.m. at its peak, when nearly 90 percent of the sun was obscured by the moon.
With sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s, the skies didn’t darken considerably as they did in the path of totality, but a noticeable drop in temperature was felt before the peak.
Related: See photos from a past solar eclipse viewing party and more from 2024 in Iowa City:
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