Bundle up! You’re invited to a special offsite viewing of the Total Lunar Eclipse on Sunday January 20, 2019. Beginning at 9:30 pm, join us for a night of astronomy programs in the Gateway Building located at 3556 Lakeshore Rd. in Blasdell (14219).
Outside, our astronomers will be on hand to facilitate a mid-winter tour of the winter sky. Highlights include a bloody supermoon — featuring a total lunar eclipse where the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, turning the moon red — setting Mars, and a backdrop of winter constellations such as the Pleiades and Orion. No viewing glasses needed!
Inside, you can warm up with hot beverages and snacks in the lobby, attend one of our space talks, watch a livestream of the eclipse in the auditorium, or make astronomy crafts with our science educators. A limited supply of free NASA swag will be available, too. All ages welcome and no registration is required. No charge for admission thanks to our sponsors: RP Oak Hill Building Company, Inc., Erie County, and NASA.
With the exception of travel bans due to extreme weather, the program will take place from 9:30 pm until 12:30 am regardless of weather conditions. We will post relevant program updates to our social media.
Lunar Schedule
9:30 pm Doors open, telescopes ready, indoor activities commence
9:36 pm Penumbral Eclipse begins (Earth’s shadow touches Moon’s face)
10:33 pm Partial eclipse begins — Moon begins to turn red
11:41 pm Total eclipse begins — Completely red moon
12:12 am Maximum eclipse
12:30 am Program concludes; eclipse wanes until 1:50 am
Space Talk Schedule
9:45 pm Eclipse Basics. Learn the difference between lunar and solar eclipses and other facts about our solar system.
10:15 pm Telescopes 101. Receive a telescope for Christmas? We’ll help you get started with an expert demonstration and mini-workshop on telescopes.
10:45 pm Astrophotography On A Budget. With a small investment you can take beautiful pictures of celestial objects. We’ll help you to get started.
11:15 pm How Do We Measure In Space? Large distances such as light years and astronomical units are challenging to imagine — we’ll give you some tips for making sense of the vastness of space.
Live Streams
Image Credit: Jim Maroney/The Great Big Sky
More info: https://moon.nasa.gov/about/lunar-eclipses/