Jump the navigation

Astronomy Professor, plus other Whitties, Take Measure of Eclipse

By Gillian Frew

Whitties watching elcipse
Nathaniel Paust ’98 poses by the telescope with former classmate Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger ’97. Pictured in the background from left to right: the Paust family’s au pair, Victoria Westphal; Dottie’s husband, Jason Metcalf-Lindenburger ’99; and Lucas Napolitano ’18. Kirsten Johnson Paust ’98 stands in front with the children: Cambria Metcalf-Lindenburger and Sarah and Anna Paust.

When a total solar eclipse cast shadows across the contiguous United States last summer, Associate Professor of Astronomy Nathaniel Paust '98 took advantage of the rare cosmic event to conduct research. He and his Louis B. Perry Summer Research student, astronomy and physics major Lucas Napolitano '18, studied the appearance of the sun's outer layers and collected data from their vantage point in John Day, Oregon. "The moment when totality hit was a surreal experience," Paust said. 

Napolitano added, "Having the opportunity not only to see a total eclipse but also to prepare a full observation plan, including how to monitor temperature and pressure data, as well as camera exposure specifics, was truly a once in a lifetime experience."

Eclipse

Accompanying them on their scientific expedition were Paust's wife Kirsten Johnson Paust '98 and their two daughters, along with former NASA astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger '97, her husband Jason '99 and their daughter, among others.

Back at Whitman, a large group assembled on Ankeny Field to view the 96 percent eclipse through solar-safe telescopes; theatre major Lud Brito '18 also led a group of international students on an outing to Sacajawea State Park in Pasco, Washington.

Published on Mar 15, 2018
beaker duck hiker icon-a-to-z icon-arrow-circle-down icon-arrow-circle-up icon-arrow-down icon-arrow-left icon-arrow-right icon-arrow-up icon-calendar-no-circle icon-calendar icon-camera icon-clock icon-cv icon-dot icon-down-triangle icon-email-circle icon-email icon-external-link icon-facebook icon-flickr icon-generic-blog icon-google-plus icon-home icon-instagram icon-library icon-link-circle icon-link-inverted icon-linkedin icon-lock icon-magazine icon-map-pin icon-map2 icon-menu-hamburger icon-menu-mobile-a icon-menu-mobile-b icon-menu-x icon-mywhitman-cog icon-news icon-phone icon-pinterest icon-play icon-quote icon-search-a icon-search-b icon-search-mobile-a icon-search-mobile-b icon-share icon-snail-mail icon-tumblr icon-twitter icon-vimeo icon-youtube logo-whitman-nc-flat logo-whitman-nc-stacked logo-whitman-no-clocktower slider-category-arrow-2px slider-category-arrow-no-line slider-category-arrow-solid slider-category-arrow slider-category-line-2px slider-category-line-solid slider-category-line tc_icon-filmstrip-fl tc_icon-filmstrip-ln tc_icon-play-fl-closed tc_icon-play-fl-open tc_icon-play-ln-closed tc_icon-play-ln-open wifi