ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Astron. Space Sci.
Sec. Space Physics
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fspas.2025.1662996
This article is part of the Research TopicHeliophysics Big Year: Education and Public Outreach ReportsView all 5 articles
Harnessing the Awe of Eclipses to Enhance Science Engagement
Provisionally accepted
- Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States
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This study examines the impact of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse on participants' feelings of awe, science identity, and interest in science-related activities through structured science engagement events. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, the research collected data from over 1,300 attendees at NASA-hosted eclipse events across the United States, with follow-up surveys conducted six months later. Findings reveal that the eclipse evoked high levels of awe, which remained relatively stable over time. Participants also reported elevated science identity and intentions to engage in future science activities; however, a gap was observed between intention and action. Correlational analyses suggest that awe, science identity, and science engagement are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. These results underscore the potential of awe-inspiring natural phenomena to serve as powerful catalysts for informal science learning and long-term public engagement with science.
Keywords: Science identity, science engagement, Solar eclipse, Public Outreach, awe
Received: 09 Jul 2025; Accepted: 22 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fischer, Sellers and Storksdieck. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Heather A Fischer, heather.fischer@oregonstate.edu
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