Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Solar eclipses offer unparalleled opportunities for public engagement in astronomy. Large groups of people often gather to view eclipses, and these events require affordable and easy-to-use tools to safely observe the Sun. One unique way to observe a solar eclipse is by using a disco ball. Here, we present an analysis of the experiences of educators who used a disco ball as a solar projector during various public outreach events. Through a survey conducted shortly after the April 2024 total solar eclipse and the March 2025 partial solar eclipse, we collected data on the use, engagement, and perceived educational value of a disco ball projector from 31 individual events. The results suggest that disco balls were not only affordable and safe, but also popular and educational.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Rapson, Valerie A., Pietrow, Alex, Cumming, Robert J., Burns, Jill, Cotton, Ali, Jadhav, Yashashree, Kazachenko, Maria D., Pietrow, Casper A.L., Pietrow, Livia M.A., Schatz, Dennis, Severn, Elliot, Srinivasan, Sundar, Thornburgh, William, Warkentin, Andrea, Yasui, Hayley
Institutions: SUNY Oneonta, Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, Chalmers University of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Colorado Boulder, National Solar Observatory, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Leiden University, National Science Teachers Association, Shanghai University, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Eastern Kentucky University, Round Rock Public Library
Language: English
Subfield: Museology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7082968902
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