MEDIA RELEASE: March 28 2024 – R0041

Curious about the cosmos? Wondering why a total solar eclipse in Niagara is such a rare sight?

Two Brock University professors are giving free public lectures next week about the celestial spectacle and the significance of lunar and solar cycles.

Assistant Professor of Physics Barak Shoshany will present All About Eclipses on Friday, April 5 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in David S. Howes Theatre. The presentation will discuss the differences between solar and lunar eclipses, the types of solar eclipses and why a total solar eclipse is so rare. He will also explain what people can expect to see during the upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 and how to view the eclipse safely.

Shoshany says his lecture will present important concepts related to eclipses in a way anyone can understand.

“People who attend the lecture will be able to enjoy the most optimal and safe experience during this exciting once-in-a-lifetime event and share what they learned with others,” he says.

Complimentary ISO-certified eclipse viewing glasses will be distributed to 50 randomly selected people who attend the lecture.

On the theme of the sun and the moon, Professor of Mathematics Henryk Fukś will present Solar and lunar cycles in the construction of the Gregorian Calendar on Thursday, April 4 from 1 to 2 p.m. in South Block room STH 216. The presentation will discuss the role mathematics played in creating the calendar and formulating the algorithm for determining the phase of the moon on a given day.

“The calendar we use today is based on the cycles of the observed motion of our sun, but it isn’t as widely known that there is a lunar part to our calendar,” says Fukś. “The annual dates for the Good Friday statutory holiday and Easter Sunday, which change every year, are determined by the phases of the moon.”

Both lectures are free and open to the Brock and Niagara communities, and no advanced knowledge of astronomy, mathematics or physics is needed. More information on each event can be found on ExperienceBU.

The community is also invited to Brock’s Eclipse on the Escarpment event on Monday, April 8, which features more than a dozen free educational exhibits in Ian Beddis Gymnasium and a viewing of the total solar eclipse on Alumni Field.

For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

* Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, Brock University mstdenis@brocku.ca or 905-246-0256

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