Come on out to the First Lunar Ecllipse of the year.
10:15pm until 11;30pm
There wil be two lunar eclipses this year. This one, on Sunday May 15th at 10:30pm and another on Tuesday November 8th in the early morning. There will be events for both. So plan to be there to watch and socialize with your fellow geo-cachers at both.
May's Full Moon is the Flower Moon, which describes all the flowers blooming in spring. Native Americans called it Budding Moon, Egg Laying Moon, and Planting Moon. The Anglo-Saxon name is Milk Moon, while the Celtic and Old English names are Mothers’ Moon, Bright Moon, Hare Moon, and Grass Moon.
Viewing a Lunar Eclipse
Lunar eclipses occur on a Full Moon night when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned in a straight line or almost straight line in space. Anyone on the night-side of the Earth at the time of the eclipse can see it.
Viewing most lunar eclipses requires little effort—partial and total eclipses of the Moon are very easy to see as long as you have a clear view of the Moon and the Sky.
Penumbral lunar eclipses, on the other hand, are much harder to observe.
Getting Started
- Use our Eclipse Calculator to find out if and when you can see a lunar eclipse at your location.
- Check the weather forecast so you can dress accordingly.
- Find a suitable place to view the eclipse. You should be able to see a lunar eclipse as long as you are on the night-side of the Earth when the eclipse occurs. Rural areas with little or no artificial lights have the clearest skies and the best viewing conditions. Urban areas, on the other hand, can provide interesting backdrops if you intend to photograph the eclipse.
Equipment
While you don't need any special equipment for viewing a lunar eclipse, astronomers and veteran photographers recommend some things that can make your lunar eclipse viewing experience even better.
These include:
- Binoculars: If you are interested in seeing the Moon's features during the eclipse, binoculars are handy to have. With binoculars, you can easily see changes in the Moon's color as the Earth's shadow moves over it. Some astronomers suggest viewing the Moon with binoculars at the start and end of totality to see a turquoise or blue band on the Moon. This band is caused by the upper, ozone-rich part of the Earth's atmosphere filtering the red wavelengths from the sunlight, giving it a blueish color.
- Telescope: A telescope can be helpful if you would like to see the features of the Moon in finer detail. You can also connect your DSLR camera to the telescope to get a bigger photo of the eclipsed Moon.
- Camera: You do not need any special equipment to take pictures of a lunar eclipse. A basic point and shoot or even a cell phone camera can be used.
- Extra batteries: Make sure to charge all the all batteries, and bring extras.
- Flashlight: Helps to find your way in the dark.
- A Chair: to be comforable while watching the Eclipse and talking with others
- Dress for the Weather: it will be chilly in the late evening.
