LUNAR VIEWING

If you missed seeing the lunar eclipse in May, you have another chance.

The second total lunar eclipse of the year will be visible Saturday evening throughout the United States.

Beginning at 5:32 p.m., the full moon will begin to enter the darker, inner part of the Earth's shadow, which is called the umbra.

The moon will be completely submerged in the Earth's shadow --- a process called totality --- beginning at 7:06 p.m. During this stage of the eclipse, you can use a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to see stars surrounding the moon. Some stars may be covered by the moon, which is fairly common and assists astronomers in determining the precise orbit of the moon.

The moon may appear dark or orange. It may even appear red in color, depending on the aerosols in the atmosphere.

Lately, there haven't been any major volcanic eruptions, which cause aerosols to be suspended in the atmosphere. These aerosols bend the incoming light of the moon and cause the color changes we see when the moon is submerged in the Earth's shadow. If the moon goes through the central part of the shadow, then the moon could appear completely dark or difficult to see.

At 7:31 p.m., the moon will begin to move out of the umbra, and once again, the sky will become bright. The eclipse will end at 10:22 p.m.

Mike Ford is an astronomy teacher at Holton High School.

Elk Creek Observatory in Holton will be open Saturday for viewing the lunar eclipse, Mars and other objects in the night sky.

The session is from 6 to 10 p.m.

For more information, e-mail Mike Ford at [email protected] or call the observatory during the day at (785) 364-2181 or after 6 p.m. Saturday at (785) 364-2903.

If the skies are overcast or there is bad weather, the observatory won't be open.

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