Why every solar eclipse viewing event needs a disco ball

Solar eclipses offer unparalleled opportunities for public engagement in astronomy. Large groups of people often gather to view eclipses, and these events require affordable and easy-to-use tools to safely observe the Sun. One unique way to observe a solar eclipse is by using a disco ball. Here, we present an analysis of the experiences of educators who used a disco ball as a solar projector during various public outreach events. Through a survey conducted shortly after the April 2024 total solar eclipse and the March 2025 partial solar eclipse, we collected data on the use, engagement, and perceived educational value of a disco ball projector from 31 individual events. The results suggest that disco balls were not only affordable and safe, but also popular and educational.

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Publication Details

Journal
ArXiv.org
Published
2025-10-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17181556
Primary Topic
History and Developments in Astronomy
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Why every solar eclipse viewing event needs a disco ball

Maria D. Kazachenko, Dennis Schatz, A. G. M. Pietrow, S. Srinivasan et al.
ArXiv.org
History and Developments in Astronomy
article

Why every solar eclipse viewing event needs a disco ball

Maria D. Kazachenko, Dennis Schatz, A. G. M. Pietrow, S. Srinivasan, Yashashree Jadhav, Robert Cumming, Jack O. Burns, Valerie Rapson, William Thornburgh, Livia Pietrow, Casper Pietrow, Andrea Warkentin, A. Cotton, Hayley Yasui, Elliot Severn
article en

Abstract

Solar eclipses offer unparalleled opportunities for public engagement in astronomy. Large groups of people often gather to view eclipses, and these events require affordable and easy-to-use tools to safely observe the Sun. One unique way to observe a solar eclipse is by using a disco ball. Here, we present an analysis of the experiences of educators who used a disco ball as a solar projector during various public outreach events. Through a survey conducted shortly after the April 2024 total solar eclipse and the March 2025 partial solar eclipse, we collected data on the use, engagement, and perceived educational value of a disco ball projector from 31 individual events. The results suggest that disco balls were not only affordable and safe, but also popular and educational.

ArXiv.org
Stevens Institute of Technology (US), Eastern Kentucky University (US), Leiden University (NL), SUNY Oneonta (US), National Science Teachers Association (US), Adler Planetarium (US), University of Colorado Boulder (US), Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (DE), Fresno City College (US), Department of Space (IN), National Solar Observatory (US), Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (US), Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía (AR), Element Six (United States) (US), Round Rock Public Library (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 77%
History and Developments in Astronomy
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