Evansville, IN – February 5, 2024 – On April 8, 2024, the United States will be treated to one of the rarest and most spectacular of celestial events: a total solar eclipse. The shadow of the Moon will fall along a narrow path across the US, including right through the Evansville Region, which will enjoy over three minutes of totality. During that time the sky will grow dark, the stars and planets will come out, birds will stop singing, crickets will chirp, and residents will be able to see the Sun’s corona, its celestial atmosphere normally far too faint to see from Earth.
Dr. Phil Plait, astronomer and science communicator, will visit Myriad Brewing Company in Downtown Evansville on Thursday, February 29 at 6 PM to present how to safely watch this out-of-this-world event, explain the science, and even debunk a misconception or two about eclipses. The event is free and open to the public. A question-and-answer session along with a book signing will follow the presentation.
Dr. Plait has given public talks about astronomy and science education at educational institutions of all levels and community events throughout the United States. His lively and humorous events have, in the past, included balancing eggs on stage and screening clips from blockbuster movies to point out particularly terrible science.
Plait, known as the ‘Bad Astronomer’ online because of his penchant for calling out misinformation, earned his doctorate in astronomy at the University of Virginia, and worked on the Hubble Space Telescope as a NASA contractor at the Goddard Space Flight Center. He is the author of the books ‘Bad Astronomy’ and ‘Death from The Skies’ and writes the thrice-weekly ‘Bad Astronomy’ newsletter that keeps subscribers apprised of the latest sky news. He was the head science writer for “Bill Nye Saves the World†on Netflix in 2017. He wrote and hosted “Crash Course Astronomyâ€, a 46-part educational web series that has over 85 million views.
Dr. Phil Plait, the ‘Bad Astronomer,’ is presented by Explore Evansville in partnership and with support from Bravo Media Group, Evansville Museum, My Brother’s Bookstore and Myriad Brewing Company.
What: When the Moon Eats the Sun: Dr. Phil Plait, the ‘Bad Astronomer’
When:Â Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 6 PM
Where:Â Myriad Brewing Company, 101 SE 1st Street #1, Evansville, INÂ 47708
Admission:Â Admission is FREE.
