PARIS, Arkansas — An Arkansas astronomer and physicist are just as passionate about science as they are for each other.
Dan and Julia Kennefick are a married couple who both teach at the University of Arkansas (U of A). Dan, the physicist, and Julia, the astronomer, got to spend the April 8 solar eclipse looking up, together.
"I'm interested in the history of them. But as we say in the family, she's the real astronomer," said Dan. "She actually looks at things through a telescope."
In 1999 in Paris, France, their first eclipse ignited a love for the experience.
"I've been talking about these eclipses for 20 years since I've been teaching astronomy," said Julia.
This time though, the U of A scientists turned down the offer to work during the eclipse.
"I want to enjoy it with my family and friends. I want to be able to look around me and enjoy what's going on," said Julia.
Dan said, "It's something so much outside of our ordinary lives. And yet, the combination of being both predictable and safe means that we can enjoy it as a quite literally awesome experience."
Julia said that beyond her profession, what makes this eclipse truly special was being there with those closest to her, "witnessing it all together."
On April 8, as the sun and moon created a natural phenomenon, the shared experience of their connection reinforced a human phenomenon.
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