Total Solar Eclipse 2024

April 8th is fast approaching and if you are wondering about the upcoming solar eclipse, we have some information for you! A solar eclipse is always such a cool “coincidence.” It’s made possible by the fact that our Sun is about 400 times bigger than our Moon but it also just so happens to be about 400 times further away.

The 2024 eclipse will cross the United States but our area (Southwest Wisconsin) does not fall into what is called the “line of totality.” That does not mean we still won’t get an amazing show from our own backyard. At it’s peak, the Sun will still be between 80-90% covered by the Moon! You should know, that if you wish for the full effect of the eclipse, you’ll need to travel to somewhere in the line of totality as even an area where 99% of the Sun is covered by the moon, it will only appear a little darker, about the equivalent of a cloudy day.

Many of our StarSplitter members will be traveling south to get a view of the total eclipse so as of now there are no plans to have an event at the park but you are more than welcome to get out your eclipse glasses and take in the partial eclipse on the Huser Observatory grounds at Wyalusing State Park.

The partial eclipse in Wisconsin is set to start at approximately 12:48pm and it will end around 3:23pm. The best time for our corner of Southwest Wisconsin will be about 1:50pm.

The last major eclipse to cross the country was back in August 2017 and many of our StarSplitter members traveled to be in the line of totality. I traveled to Missouri and unfortunately met clouds and rain but it was still an awesome experience. Here is a time-lapse video from that day.

This year I will not be able to travel as I am a teacher and track coach who has school and a meet that day. We are planning some eclipse activities at school and even bought plenty of glasses so each student and staff member can look up! It should make for a great educational experience.

I know our resident astrophotography guru, Brian, has traveled to photograph other eclipses and has some amazing photos that he will probably share in the coming weeks.

Regardless of where you are, make sure you have the proper eye protection before enjoying the eclipse. One you’ve made sure you have the right eyewear you just need to pick your spot, hope for clear skies, and sit back and enjoy the show!

Our 2024 Season

As we inch closer to our “astronomy season” I figured it is a good time to give an idea of what to expect when coming to Wyalusing State Park for one of our offerings. You can view our calendar here!

Our calendar has some different types of events listed. Business meetings are when our membership gets together and discusses future plans and handles behind-the-scenes details. We also have park programs, programs by request, and activity nights. See below for a description of each of those.

Types of Programs:

Someone getting their first glimpse of Saturn!

Park Program – Our park programs are open to the public and free of charge. We do appreciate any donations as we are a registered non-profit organization and we operate entirely on donations. A typical park program begins at 8:30pm when one of our members gives a presentation on astronomy. Topics vary by member and could include astronomy basics, astrophotography, or space exploration. Once the sky is dark enough, we will head outside and use some of our amazing equipment to show you many celestial objects.

Programs by request – We do try to accommodate programs by request as much as we can but due to our small membership numbers, we can’t fulfill every request. You are more than welcome to request a viewing but please understand we get a lot of requests and we are all volunteers so we may not be able to make it work. Being a non-profit we do not have set fees for requested programs but we strongly encourage a donation of at least $3 per person. We promise that it is money well spent! You can request a program by using the contact page.

Huser Observatory in Wyalusing State Park.

Activity Night – These are time set aside for our active members to enjoy the night sky at their own pace. When we do programs we are very focused on delivering a great experience so we take the activity night as a chance to look for other objects and learn new things. These are still open to anyone but please note that it will not be run like a program. If you have your own telescope and want to learn how to use it, you are more than welcome to bring it and we will be happy to help you out!

When you arrive…

We ask that you park in the parking lot at the Turkey Hollow trailheads and then proceed down the gravel path on foot.

A public program starts with an introduction to astronomy by one of our members before we head to the scopes.

Please use only red lights and keep cell phones and any other white lights tucked away.

If you are using bug spray, please apply it up the gravel path or in the parking lot and not around others. We have one member who is very allergic to bug sprays.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our gatherings at Huser Observatory in Wyalusing State Park! Hope for clear skies and we will provide the rest!

Ad Astra,

Kyle

New Website Launch!

…bad pun intended.

Greetings to all our beloved members, enthusiasts, and future astronomers! We are thrilled to announce a significant leap into the digital cosmos with the launch of our new website for the StarSplitters of Wyalusing. This initiative marks a milestone in our journey to make astronomy more accessible, engaging, and enjoyable for everyone in our community and beyond.

Additional content will be rolled out in the coming days/weeks. Until then you can check out our 2024 calendar or find us on Facebook!

Ad Astra,

Kyle