The April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Prepare to be Gobsmacked!
Bob Hamers and Jeff Shokler will help you prepare for your total eclipse experience by sharing the insights, tips, and lessons learned from their own eclipse experiences. During the talk, they’ll help you consider your eclipse viewing and/or imaging goals, discuss the many ways one can enjoy experiencing a total solar eclipse (including the numerous phenomena to keep an eye out for), and share important safety considerations.
If photographing the eclipse is one of your goals, they’ll also talk about the kinds of imaging gear that is most appropriate for photographing total eclipses, and how to plan and prepare for taking pictures – particularly under the demanding, tight timelines total eclipses present imagers. It’s not easy managing photographic gear while you’re totally gobsmacked by the sight of a total solar eclipse! Planning and preparation are the keys to success after your brain shuts down, and you’re witnessing one of nature’s most remarkable events!
Bob Hamers is a spectroscopist and chemistry professor at UW-Madison. He has been a member of the MAS since 2017 and enjoys a mix of DSO, planetary, and solar imaging.
Jeff Shokler is the Director for Technology and Assessment in the Office of Academic and Career Success at UW-Madison, serving in this role since November of 2012. Previously, he worked for fifteen years in the L&S Honors Program – nine as its Associate Director. His educational background is in anthropology, archaeology, and geoscience from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A long-time amateur astronomer (dating back to his childhood in Texas) and now astrophotographer, Jeff joined MAS in 2004 and served for 15 years on its Board as President, Vice President, and Board Member-at-Large. He enjoys doing science and astronomy outreach at events like “Moon Over Monona Terrace,” star parties at Devil’s Lake State Park and Donald Park. Jeff often gives public presentations about astronomy and astrophotography at MAS monthly meetings, photography groups, school science classes, and senior living communities.
Eclipse photo courtesy Jeff Shokler, August 2017.
This meeting will take place in person at our usual Space Place classroom location. It will also be streamed live to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@madisonastronomicalsociety.