Observation of the Annular Eclipse of October 14, 2023: Experience of the Municipality of Santa María del Real, Olancho in Honduras

Abstract

This article aims to highlight the experiences and achievements resulting from the collabo-ration between the Coordination of Linkage of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the National Autonomous University of Honduras, the municipal authorities of Santa María Real Olancho, SENACIT, the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics (UNAG), and the media both before, during, and after the annular eclipse on October 14, 2023. This research is of the explanatory cross-sectional approach. To achieve this, training sessions were conducted for teachers, students, community members, and municipal authorities, along with eclipse obser-vation. This implementation demonstrates the impacts of the linkage with society on the streng-thening, conceptualization, and assimilation of the astronomical event in the community of Santa María Real Olancho. This locality was one of the epicenters for observing the annular eclipse, with a duration of 5 minutes and 14 seconds in its annularity phase. This approach allowed for high-quality education in conceptual foundations, as well as direct observation through a Celes-tron telescope and special lenses in an open field, demystifying previous beliefs that many held before the eclipse.