UA Little Rock Student Serves as Solar Eclipse Ambassador
Since 2022, Katherine Hartter, an environmental geology student at UA Little Rock, has been sharing her love of space science with the community by serving as a NASA Partnered Eclipse Ambassador.
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific, in partnership with NASA and community partners, matched undergraduate college students with amateur astronomers and trained them to share the excitement of NASA solar science and the solar eclipse with their communities.
“I love space science, and I think the solar eclipse is especially fascinating because I’m an amateur astronomer,” Hartter said. “I am always learning something new when it comes to space. I really enjoy solar science, and that is where the eclipse comes in. It’s all about observation during the day, so being an eclipse ambassador is a good fit for me.”
As an eclipse ambassador, Hartter was partnered with Carl Freyaldenhoven, a local amateur astronomer, and they have been traveling around Arkansas to give presentations about the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8 to schools, libraries, clubs, and community organizations.
During the presentations, Hartter talks about topics like eye safety during the solar eclipse, wearing eclipse glasses, the science behind a solar eclipse, why we don’t see a solar eclipse every month, the path of totality, and the history of solar eclipses in Arkansas.
“I like to tell people that the next time there will be a total solar eclipse in Arkansas is in 2045,” she said. “If you are watching the solar eclipse on April 8, it’s a fun idea to make a time capsule. In 21 years, you can open the time capsule on the day you watch the next solar eclipse. It will be a fun way to enjoy the next solar eclipse with your family and friends.”
