Midwest GeoSciences Group, based in Carmel, has built a one-of-a-kind telescope for safely witnessing the anticipated Total Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8, and in a partnership with the City of Carmel, the telescope will be brought to the city’s official viewing event at City Hall.
People can witness the eclipse from anywhere around the world and without looking directly at the sun, thanks to a special viewing station that will be set up to capture the image of the sun and then transmit it on a live streaming platform that will be shared both on the ground and across the globe.
The internet-connected Seestar S50 telescope will be at Carmel City Hall on Monday, April 8. That means any person anywhere on Earth can safely see the total solar eclipse – even without special glasses. (Photo provided)
“Eclipse glasses seem to be available everywhere now, but if you’re participating in the on-site festivities at City Hall, you’ll be able to look at this unique equipment and watch the real-time solar eclipse on a large TV monitor,” said Dan Kelleher, Geologist and President of Midwest GeoSciences.
The viewing station will use Smart Telescope Technology to capture the image of the sun and then electronically transmit it to a platform accessible online. That means that anyone can logon to the internet and witness the real-time eclipse progression from Carmel. The weblink will be provided at carmel.in.gov on April 1.
Kelleher searched different telescope manufacturing companies for the latest imagery technology after he realized that a pin-point mirror reflection would fail to provide a practical eclipse image at the large image scale Dan envisioned. Astronomics Inc., from Norman, Okla., had the answer, pointing Kelleher to a new “first-generation” Smart Telescope Technology using an imaging system called Seestar S50. This apparatus calibrates itself to Earth Geometry Coordinates allowing self-search and targeting of space objects.
At nighttime, the powerful Seestar S50 is a remarkable tool for easily finding and photographing deep-space objects. It comes with a solar filter that works perfectly for capturing images of the sun and its surface. Solar flares and sunspots are visible real time using the solar filter.
Free lectures at Carmel Library
Midwest GeoSciences Group will hold a Pre-Eclipse Lecture at the Carmel Clay Public Library on Sunday, April 7 featuring two lectures by experts in their field.
- Eclipses & Celestial Bodies: Shining a Light on History and Science during this Magical Moment of Darkness, with Dr. Tom Sale, Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering and Past Director of the Center for Hydrology in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University.
- SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence – Perspectives of an Earth Scientist, with Dr. Donna Jurdy, Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University.
About Medwest Geosciences Group
Midwest GeoSciences Group is based in Carmel and was founded in 1996 by Dan Kelleher and Tim Kemmis, professional geologists and recognized experts in their field. The organization offers high-level training to hydrogeologic, environmental, and engineering professionals mainly around the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. “MidwestGeo” also performs professional consulting services to help solve complex ground water problems. Find more information at midwestgeo.com/solareclipse2024/index.php.