Authentically Connecting the Dots Between Weather, Climate and the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.

Ahead of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, the Mount Washington Observatory saw a unique opportunity to engage communities in weather, climate and participatory science despite our observatory’s mission being meteorologically focused, not astronomically.

This talk illustrates the approach that the MWOBS’ education team took towards developing and offering unique programming that aligned with our organization’s expertise. Through virtual and in-person programming, participants learned how to access reliable local, regional, and national weather and climate data to forecast the likelihood of viewing totality at a given location(s). Beyond MWOBS’ “Understanding Weather & Climate to View the Total Solar Eclipse” programming, our education team engaged in participatory science utilizing NASA assets leading up to and during the eclipse. This included MWOBS staff serving as the State Level Coordinator for the Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse (CATE) 2024 program and using and promoting the use of NASA GLOBE’s new eclipse protocol during totality.

This creative mission alignment resulted in meaningful programs that took place in various spaces (virtual, schools, resorts and state parks) and connected with both youth and adult audiences. In total, MWOBS educators delivered 16 programs, a CATE participatory science workshop, and an eclipse viewing event focused around GLOBE. Through these efforts, MWOBS connected with more than 1000 people, 900 of which being K-12 students. In summary, MWOBS contributed to and drew enthusiasm from the exciting STEM phenomenon that was the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in ways that stayed true to our mission while also expanding our national reach.