The artist Howard Russell Butler, Princeton Class of 1876, painted his first solar eclipse in 1918. He also painted eclipses in 1923, 1925, and 1932.
Smithsonian Institution via Wikipedia
The University and the Princeton community are celebrating the Aug. 21 solar eclipse with a series of public events:
- “Transient Effects,” a Princeton University Art Museum exhibit featuring Howard Russell Butler 1876’s paintings of solar eclipses and other celestial phenomena, opened July 22 and will be on display through Oct. 8. Read more about Butler and explore his work on the exhibit website.
- Rachael DeLue, associate professor of art history, will discuss Butler’s paintings of solar eclipses, as well as other endeavors in art and science to picture what the eye cannot see, in a lecture at the Princeton Public Library’s community room on Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.
- The Department of Astrophysical Sciences and the Princeton Public Library are co-sponsoring a solar eclipse viewing party Aug. 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Palmer Square. While Princeton is not in the path of totality, organizers still expect “a good show” for those with proper eye protection. University astronomers will be on hand to discuss the eclipse and field questions.