2014 Events

Late on Monday evening and early Tuesday morning, Apr. 14-15, the shadow of the Earth slowly moves across the Moon, making a total eclipse of the Moon, be visible from throughout the U.S. The Earth’s shadow is always cast into space and is in the opposite side of the sky from where the Sun is. So lunar eclipse happens when the full Moon and the Sun are exactly opposite each other in our skies and the Earth moves between them. The eclipsed Moon will be high in the sky and easily visible (provided it’s not cloudy). The moon will appear strange in the sky—sunlight refracted by the earth’s atmosphere and falling upon the moon will make it red or orange in color. Watch with naked eye, binoculars, and/or telescope.

East Bay

Chabot Space and Science Center - Special open evening for the Total Lunar Eclipse at Chabot Space and Science Center http://www.chabotspace.org/

Lawrence Hall of Science - Total Lunar Eclipse event at Lawrence Hall of Science.

http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/visit/events/lunar_eclipse

Monday, April 14

11:00 p.m.–1:30 a.m. (runs into morning of April 15)

$10 General Admission, $5 Members

4 elements to the Lawrence Hall of Science party:

---Look through astronomical telescopes to observe the first total lunar eclipse visible in the Bay Area since 2011

---Drop-in Planetarium open house where you can explore times when eclipses happen, and get intriguing different views of of eclipses (as seen from the Earth, from space, from the Moon, from above looking down, and from the bottom looking up), see and model phases of the Moon. Also see a magnificent 3D modeling of Earth's shadow, which is the real culprit responsible for causing the lunar eclipse.

---Drop-in Science-on-a-Sphere open house where you can see where on Earth the eclipse is visible, what the eclipse looks like from Earth orbiting satellites, and exact times when the different stages of eclipses begin and end.

---Lunar eclipse activity/game area where you can:

• test your skill at creating and accurate, to-scale model of lunar eclipses,
• set up a model that shows that the celestial conditions conducive eclipses occur every 6 months
• computer simulations
• make and eat an oreo cookie model of lunar phases or eclipses.

Timeline:

Near sunset - Moon rises

9:54 pm PDT - Moon enters Earth's outer shadow (penumbra)—not too noticeable

10:58 pm PDT - Partial eclipse starts—Moon enters Earth’s inner shadow (umbra)

12:07 am PDT - Total eclipse starts— Moon fully inside Earth's inner shadow

12:46 am PDT - Mid-eclipse

1:25 am PDT - Total eclipse ends—Moon no longer fully inside Earth's inner shadow

2:33 am PDT - Partial eclipse ends—Moon completely exits Earth’s inner shadow

South Bay

The San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA) will host an eclipse party, Houge Park; see

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/sjaa-announcements/khejpm5riOE

2) Places to watch it locally with amateur astronomers with telescopes. Most places are setting up by 9PM.

San Francisco

Park Chalet Gardens near Ocean Beach, San Francisco . http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa-member-social-and-lunar-eclipse-watching-party/

Public eclipse viewing with the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers from 9:00pm-1:00am at Park Chalet Gardens near Ocean Beach after our member social which runs from 7:00pm-9:00pm. http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa-member-social-and-lunar-eclipse-watching-party/ Sign up here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/sfaa-member-social-and-lunar-eclipse-watching-party-tickets-6733025661

Peninsula

Foothill College Observatory, Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Rd, Los Altos Hills, CA

San Mateo Coounty Astronomical Society - Vista Park, San Carlos on Crestview Dr.

Sonoma County

Robert Ferguson Observatory, 2605 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, CA with the Sonoma County Astronomical Society. See: http://rfo.org/faqs.html

Sacramento Area

Colfax. Local astronomers will be setting up telescopes at the Auburn Dam Overlook to provide free views of the eclipsed moon, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn, if the weather is permitting. We will be there from 11:00 PM until 1:30 AM. The viewing is free and dependent upon the weather. If it is overcast or raining the public event is cancelled, but the eclipse will still go on. To get to the Overlook, go to downtown Auburn, to the historic Courthouse. One of the roads branching from there is Auburn-Folsom Rd. Take that to the third stoplight (about 0.8 mile). This is Pacific Ave. Turn left at this stoplight and go about 0.6 miles to the American River Overlook, which is on your right. We are at the far end of the parking lot. -Don Machholz