Weiss talks science behind the Great American Eclipse

The countdown to the Great American Eclipse is less than a week away, and a large swath of Indiana will be in the path of totality. Here in South Bend, we’ll see a partial eclipse, but it is still the talk around town these past couple of weeks.

Lauren Weiss is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Notre Dame, and on Tuesday night, she broke down the importance of astrophysics in relation to this total solar eclipse coming through North America next Monday.

“It gives people a chance to connect through our universe, to remember that we talk about our world, but it’s actually a very limited space,” said Professor Weiss. “Our world is tiny; there’s so much space beyond it, so seeing something magnificent that’s happening beyond our own world reminds people of what possibility is out there. And I’d love to see people thinking imaginatively, creatively, and hopefully, about how humans can interact with the universe.”

Professor Weiss’ teachings focus mainly on understanding the origin and evolution of planetary systems and assessing whether some planets could be habitable.

But does that mean we’ll be able to jump ship off Earth soon? Well, not quite.

“These planets and other stars are thousands of lightyears away, so I wouldn’t hold your breath about getting to them or relocating if we mess up Earth,” Weiss said. “But what would be cool, if these worlds are inhabited, it might give us a new view on what it means to be a species in this universe that is aware of our own presence.”

So, while we might not be jumping ship. We are lucky enough here in Indiana to see this once in a lifetime event, which Professor Weiss believes will be more than worth it.

“If you see one, there’s a good chance it will be this one,” Weiss said. “That Netflix show can wait; this is a really special event once in a lifetime; just go.”

And a reminder: if you’re going to be checking out the eclipse, make sure you have your pair of specialized eclipse glasses ready.

By Waleed Alamleh, WNDU

Link to WNDU with video.