A Lunar Eclipse
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An eclipse of the Moon will occur on the evening of Wednesday February 20. At mid-eclipse, Saturn and the bright star Regulus will be only 3 - 4 degrees from the Moon, and this winter's pantheon of objects (Orion, Gemini, Mars, and so forth) will be out in full force. -- Keep in mind that the most dramatic part of the eclipse is the approach to totality, when the Earth's shadow creeps across the lunar surface, so be sure to watch from 9:00 to 10:00 PM!
If the sky is clear, volunteers from Eckerd's astrobiology class will set up telescopes in the academic quad to view this event, starting at 8:30 PM. You are invited to come out and support their efforts. If you can't come to campus then just look up in the sky.
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Here are some times to remember:
- 7:35 PM - Eclipse starts - Boring umbral phase
- 8:43 PM - Dark shadow of Earth appears - Dramatic umbral phase
- 10:01 PM - Totality begins - Note the Moon's color. - Look for Saturn and Regulus.
- 10:26 PM - Mid-totality - Remus Lupin and Lon Chaney Jr. go to sleep.
- 10:51 PM - Totality ends - Most observers head to bed.
- 12:09 AM - Dark shadow leaves the Moon
- 1:18 AM - Lighter umbral shadow leaves
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(Click to Enlarge.)
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Astro-Archive of the Past 5 Years
| A relatively rare transit of the planet Mercury took place on the afternoon of Wednesday November 8, 2006 when Mercury passed across the face of the Sun, as viewed from Eckerd College. An observing station was set up on the western side of the Chemistry-Physics building, and students, faculty, and staff all followed the event's progress. |
Photographic sequence showing the last transit of Mercury, taken by the SOHO spacecraft. |
| Mercury is by far the hardest of the original seven ancient planets to see, and there is even an urban astro-legend that Copernicus never viewed it. Certainly it's unusual to see a planet and its motion in the daytime (aside from the obvious), but to see one while looking at the sun is even rarer. |
| Next Mercury Transit: May 9, 2016 |
Next Venus Transit: June 6, 2012 |
An urban astro-legend updated
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When I visited Copernicus's home in Frombork, Poland in 2000, the local savants agreed with me that if Copernicus never saw Mercury, then it was because he never looked for it.
And while in Frombork, be sure to stay at the lovely Copernicus Hotel, conveniently located on Copernicus Street, just down the road from the Copernicus statue and the cathedral where Copernicus served, with its Copernicus Tower, which is adjacent to the Copernicus Museum. and across the street from the site of Copernicus's home.
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Other recent on-campus astro-events
| Shown here is a rare graze of our moon by Jupiter, at noon on November 10, 2004. This daytime event was seen by students on the Eckerd College campus. |
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Jupiter grazes the moon
November 10, 2004 |
Lunar eclipse
October 27, 2004 |
Comet Neat
April-May, 2004 |
Lunar eclipse
May 4, 2004 |
Lunar eclipse
November 8, 2003 |
Lunar eclipse
May 16, 2003 |
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