Sun, Moon, and People: Connecting Solar Eclipses to the History of a Community

Connecting solar eclipses and other astronomical events to community history can create opportunities for engaging new audiences and for integrating science with other educational domains. Such history can also illustrate how the science of astronomy impacts and interacts with many people’s lives beyond the scientific realm. This poster will present strategies for researching the history of eclipses in connection with a local community, discuss important considerations when working with history and historical sources, and outline ways in which such history can be used to enrich both public outreach and classroom education. Preliminary results will be included from creating a podcast exploring Indiana’s history with eclipses, in preparation for the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024.