To those of you who have given to our Pony Up Campaign, thanks very much. We have raised more than $3,000. We are very gratified for your very generous donations to our Eclipse Outreach project.

Thanks to you, we will have a very robust and engaging public outreach effort this summer, reaching folks from all across our state. We’ve already scheduled several of the trips, with more to come. Keep checking this space for additional details on those events.

I’m also excited to announce that we just placed our order for eclipse shades, giving us nearly 13,000 pairs in total! That’s almost 13,000 pairs of eyeballs that will be able to safely enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event in August.

And if you haven’t donated yet, don’t worry – there’s still time to help out and get your own shades.

Once the shades come in, we’ll mail them out to qualified donors as quickly as we can. So keep an eye on your mailbox in the coming months.

And special thanks to donors Tracy Landauer, Justin McGilvery, and Robert Jahn.

On the morning of August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible across the continental United States. The Moon’s shadow will also pass through Idaho, and visitors from all around the world will flock to our state.

To prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime event, Boise State is asking for your support to help us work with communities around the state.

The Challenge

This will be the first eclipse visible across the United State since 1979 and the last one visible from Idaho for more than 150 years. For two hours, the Moon’s disk will cross the disk of the Sun, completely blotting it out for about two minutes during the height of the eclipse.

The eclipse will be visible to the naked eye, but before and after the total eclipse, viewing the Sun directly can potentially damage the eye. And thousands upon thousands of visitors are expected to come to Idaho, posing significant logistical challenges for small municipalities.

The Plan

Boise State is partnering with local libraries, astronomy clubs, and science museums to organize outreach events all over the state throughout 2017.

With these partners, Boise State will host public presentations about the eclipse and provide eclipse shades for safe viewing. One of Boise State’s own, Prof. Brian Jackson, will help organize and lead these efforts.

Here’s where you come in: donations to this campaign will cover the costs of travel, materials, and other expenses related to these events. They will also enable Boise State to support our partners in their own outreach efforts.

To reward your generosity, we are offering a variety of gifts, from VIP access to a public astronomy event to a private stargazing party with Prof. Jackson. And perks stack, so if you donate at a certain level, you also get the perks from lower levels, too.

So help Boise State University reach out across Idaho to make the 2017 solar eclipse an eclipse to remember.