Looking Ahead Together: Solar Eclipse Captivates Lusatia
On 12 August, people at several locations across Lusatia came together to experience the solar eclipse. The German Centre for Astrophysics joined numerous partners in bringing science to life through experiments, telescopes and hands-on activities.
At 6.30 p.m. in Schwarzkollm, the car park at the Krabat Mill is gradually reaching capacity. Around 2,000 people have gathered in the courtyard and on the meadow. On a large LED screen, Uwe Lemmer presents high-resolution images of the Sun’s surface captured by the Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii. Children build astro-themed LED lamps, while telescopes are trained on the Sun.
At the DZA tents, the spectrum of sunlight is split into its component colours and researchers explain their work. From 7.30 p.m. onwards, visitors can watch as the Moon gradually “nibbles away” at the Sun. The LED screen shows images from Spain alongside live footage from Schwarzkollm. At around 8.15 p.m., the Sun disappears behind the forest.
Almost simultaneously, similar scenes are unfolding at several locations across Lusatia. The DZA is there together with numerous partners, offering experiments, telescopes and hands-on science.
In Weißwasser, several hundred visitors attend the family festival at the Schwerer Berg tower. In perfect weather, they watch from its four viewing platforms as the Moon moves in front of the low-lying Sun above the Nochten open-cast mine.
At the DZA stand, Martin Schwinzerl, Jana Bingemer and other colleagues use radio astronomy experiments to demonstrate how the Sun can be studied beyond visible light. A model of the Earth–Moon system provides a clear illustration of how a solar eclipse occurs. The Lausitzer Sterngucker e. V. astronomy association offers visitors the opportunity to observe the Sun through telescopes, as does the Astronomischer Verein Hoyerswerda in Schwarzkollm.
„The solar eclipse is a wonderful example of how a single event can bring people together – regional partners, visitors and everyone who came together to share in the wonder,”
says Katharina Henjes-Kunst, Administrative Director of the DZA, reflecting on the previous evening.
On Mount Bieleboh, too, the solar eclipse became a very special experience. Femmes Vocales accompanied the celestial event with a cappella music. The event also marked the culmination of the Solar Eclipse Artist Residency (SEAR), organised by Rashomotion e. V., which brought artists and scientists together in collaboration.
For anyone wishing to relive the atmosphere in Weißwasser, the 7 p.m. edition of MDR SACHSENSPIEGEL featured two live segments from the family festival as well as an extended report. Watch the programme here.
Our thanks go to LEAG, Krabatmühle Schwarzkollm, RAA Ostsachsen, Lausitzstones, Astronomischer Verein Hoyerswerda, Station für Technik, Naturwissenschaften, Kunst – Weißwasser e. V., Lausitzer Sterngucker e. V. and Rashomotion e. V. Without their support, these events would not have been possible.
From Experiment to a Celestial Moment
It begins with curiosity. People gather around telescopes, children try their hand at experiments and solar eclipse glasses pass from hand to hand. In Schwarzkollm and Weißwasser, thousands of people wait on this August evening for something to happen in the sky that can neither be planned nor repeated.
The settings could hardly be more different: the historic courtyard of the Krabat Mill on one side, and the Schwerer Berg tower, offering sweeping views across Lusatia’s mining landscape, on the other. Yet the same thing happens in both places: conversations fall silent, heads tilt back and all eyes turn towards the Sun.
Then, little by little, the Moon moves in front of the Sun. Experiments, explanations and scientific observations suddenly become something experienced first-hand. Through telescopes and eclipse glasses, only a slender, glowing crescent of the Sun remains visible. For a moment, all of Lusatia looks in the same direction.