August 21 marked the first Monday of the Fall semester for students at Rio Hondo. It also happened to be the day of the first total solar eclipse since 1979. Rio Hondo students gathered under the sun in the lower quad to view the eclipse with some help from the school’s President and the Mathematics & Sciences center.

While the last solar eclipse was just March of 2016, it was not viewable by those in the United States. As previously mentioned, the last time a solar eclipse was visible in the U.S. was almost four decades ago, so August’s eclipse was a can’t-miss spectacle for citizens in the U.S.

Rio Hondo’s President Teresa Dreyfuss paid for and contributed free solar eclipse glasses for students who wanted to view the moon/sun in all its glory. The Division of Mathematics & Sciences also brought out there Meade LX200GPS, 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope for students who wanted to get a better view of the eclipse.

The Dean of the Division of Mathematics & Sciences, Vann Priest, assured he wanted students to be able to experience this unique event. Adding that it was also a “welcome back to Rio Hondo” gift for the students.

About 60% of the sun was covered by the moon from the view at Rio Hondo, giving the illusion of a bright, crescent sun. While it was an amazing sight, some students still hoped for more.

“I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t a full total solar eclipse,” said Rio Hondo student Luis Gutierrez. “But it was still cool to experience.”

The next solar eclipse to be viewable in the United States is in seven years, in April of 2024. So, total eclipse or not, Monday’s solar eclipse was really a must-see.