A visit by the Doppler on Wheels high-tech mobile radar vehicle, a preview of eclipse-related research, hands-on family activities and more are planned for SUNY Oswego’s STEM Community Day, from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 6.

The special afternoon of on-campus activities connects with SUNY Oswego’s many research, outreach and public programs on the day of the total solar eclipse on Monday, March 8.

In a visit sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Doppler on Wheels network, run by the Center for Severe Weather, will have one of its cutting-edge mobile Doppler radar trucks on-site for public tours. The team is in Oswego for the eclipse to collect data, work with meteorology classes and host opportunities for viewing by the public. On April 6, visitors can find the mobile research station in Lot C-8 between the Shineman Center and Washington Boulevard.

A range of activities will take place throughout the Shineman Center that afternoon as well, much of it in the center atrium known as The Nucleus, as well as in classrooms.

Rice Creek Field Station also will host a bird-banding activity from 2 to 4 p.m. on April 6 at the field station on Thompson Road.

In Shineman, students and faculty involved with the National Eclipse Ballooning Project will showcase their ongoing research. Supported by a grant from NASA and the NSF, the team continues its work during April’s total solar eclipse, with students launching balloons with radiosondes into the stratosphere at regular intervals to measure atmospheric phenomena under rare conditions. 

Visitors also can experience hands-on and informational family activities connected to meteorology, mathematics, geology, physics, chemistry, computer science, history and other academic programs. 

Activities on April 6 will include telescope viewing, making mood rings and slime, mini-mineral kits, puzzles, earthquake demonstrations, paint pouring and other educational opportunities.

In addition, visitors can find out more about the astrophysics of the eclipse, explore the fourth-floor greenhouse, learn more about women in science, discover how ancient civilizations viewed the eclipse, hear about the Sustainability Office’s maple syrup program and more.

Also, the National Weather Service will host a SKYWARN training from 2 to 4 p.m. in 122 Shineman Center. SKYWARN is a national effort to save lives during severe weather emergencies with an expanding network of trained weather spotters. Those interested in participating in this training, presented by the Buffalo office of the National Weather Service in cooperation with SUNY Oswego’s meteorology program, can sign up via this form.


For more information on eclipse-related activities at SUNY Oswego, visit oswego.edu/eclipse.