Total Lunar Eclipse - May 15, 9:30 pm - 12:00 am

Join us in the observatory on May 15 (weather permitting) to view the Total Lunar Eclipse through our telescopes!

Some call this eclipse a "Super Blood Moon" eclipse. The term Blood Moon comes from the reddish-orange color the Moon turns as it enters Earth's dark umbral shadow. Sunlight can pass through Earth's atmosphere but gets scattered and bent due to all the dust and water vapor in our air. This bending changes the light's color from yellow/white to a bloody orange/red color that gets reflected on the Moon during a total eclipse. This same bending of light is why sunsets on Earth appear red. The more dust and water vapor the light passes through, the darker red the Sun will appear. 

The May 15 eclipse will also be a Supermoon, a Full Moon that occurs near perigee, the closest approach to Earth in the Moon's orbit. The Moon's orbit is elliptical, so its distance from Earth changes over time. When the Moon is closer to Earth during a Full Moon, it's called a Supermoon. When the Moon is farther away during a Full Moon, it's known as a Micro Moon. These are not astronomical terms, by the way. In astronomy a Supermoon is called a perigee-syzygy. Perigee-syzygy occurs several times each year, so you can expect three or more "Supermoons" every year.

Since Supermoons occur when the Moon is closest to Earth, they can appear bigger, but not noticeably so. They are only about 15% bigger than an average Full Moon. The difference lies in the brightness of the Full Moon. Supermoons can be as much as 30% brighter than average.

Lunar eclipses are always safe to watch and don't require any special equipment, unlike solar eclipses, but telescopes and binoculars can enhance the view. So join us in the observatory this month to watch the Super Blood Moon eclipse!

The Moon will enter Earth's fainter penumbral shadow around 9:30 pm. By 10:30, the Moon will be entering the darker umbral shadow. At 11:30 pm, the Moon will be fully eclipsed.

Register to attend in person!