If you’re looking for something fun and educational to do with your family Saturday evening—-simply turn your eyes to the sky. For the first time in more than two years, a total lunar eclipse will be visible in clear skies for nearly the entire continental United States, Europe and Africa.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. Viewers tend to see the moon’s appearance darken (basically, the eclipse makes the moon appear to be reddish or grayish). Unfortunately for those of you who live on the East Coast of the U.S. the moon will already be in total eclipse when it rises Saturday night or on its way to total eclipse. Meanwhile, residents on the West Coast will only see a partial eclipse.
However, in the Midwest, specifically, Chicago, the viewing promises to be spectacular. To celebrate, the Windy City’s Alder Planetarium is holding a “Total Lunar Eclipse Viewing Party” Saturday evening. Events include “Keep Your Eye On The Sky” (the Planetarium will have telescopes available outside on the sidewalk to the east of the Adler to view the eclipse and other sky objects). In addition, the Doane Observatory will also be open, but because the Moon will be low in the sky until the eclipse ends, the Observatory’s telescopes will not be able to view the eclipse. From 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. the Planetarium will host “Moon Phases” demonstrations and presentations to showcase how eclipses happen and to highlight more information about eclipses. The best part: all the activities are free.
You may also consider taking in the eclipse from some of the city’s tallest real estate. The Skydeck at Chicago’s Sears Tower and the John Hancock Observatory will also be open for eclipse viewing.
In the Midwest moonrise occurs at 5:39 p.m. CST (the moon will already be eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow at this point), totality ends at 5:58 p.m. and the partial phase ends at 7:11 p.m. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye. Since you do not require any special viewing equipment, there’s no excuse not to bundle up the family and travel away from the city lights to see the effects of this astrological event.
If you do not live around the Chicagoland area, but would enjoy watching the event with others, check your local planetarium to see if it plans to host a lunar eclipse viewing party. Also, throughout the country local astronomy clubs are hosting their own viewing parties in the parking lots of area universities and high schools. To see if a viewing party will be held in a city near you simply contact your local science museum.
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