Stuart's Spectacular Students

This is dedicated to my amazing students. The goal is for each and every one of them to feel unstoppable by the time they walk out of the classroom door for the final time in May. This chronicles their journey; their own Chronicles of Self-Actualization.

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Friday, March 02, 2007

Moon Eclipse this Saturday

Set aside some time this weekend for sky watching! On Saturday night, March 3, there will be a total eclipse of the Moon. This means that the Moon will glide through the heart of Earth's shadow and turn a beautiful shade of sunset red. Totality can be seen from parts of all seven continents, including all of Europe and Africa and the eastern half of North America.

Moon watchers:
Soon after sunset on Saturday evening, March 3, you can watch the rising full Moon undergoing its first total eclipse in nearly 2-½ years. Observing tip: Find a place with a clear view of the eastern horizon and station yourself there at sunset. As the sun goes down behind you, a red moon will rise before your eyes. The eclipse will already be in progress when the Sun sets and the Moon rises (about 6:28 pm), two events that happen almost simultaneously on a lunar eclipse night. Be on the watch for a thinning sliver of the Moon's edge coming up just above the eastern horizon. The Moon rises during totality. Depending on just how clear the eastern sky is on eclipse evening, you might have to wait a half-hour or more after the Moon rises, since the twilight sky will still be quite bright and the full Moon will be shining 1/10,000 to 1/100,000 as bright as it normally would; you'll be hunting for a dim ball. The total lunar eclipse will end at 6:58 but the partial eclipse will remain until 8:12 pm.


The Moon will track across the northern portion of the Earth's shadow, and will be completely immersed for one-hour and 14 minutes, making this a somewhat longer than normal totality.
Because some of the sunlight that strikes our Earth is diffused and scattered by our atmosphere, its shadow is not completely dark; enough of this light reaches the Moon to give it an eerie coppery glow even when it's totally eclipsed. It is anticipated that during the upcoming total eclipse the Moon will glow brightest across its upper portion, while its lower part (closest to the center of the shadow) will appear a darker shade of brown or chocolate color. Rising moons are often reddened by clouds or pollution, but this moon will be the deep, extraordinary red only seen during a lunar eclipse.


This will be the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2007, the other occurring on Aug. 27 will favor western North America and the Pacific Rim.

Happy Sky Watching!! Check out our website or call for more information on how you can have Mad Science be part of your classroom or summer experience!


For more information: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/12feb_lunareclipse.htm

Lunar Eclipse Gallery (photos from a similar eclipse in 2004): http://spaceweather.com/eclipses/gallery_27oct04_page2.html

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2 Comments:

  • At 8:38 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    i need harder tests in reading, ratio in math, and the human body in science.


    -katie

     
  • At 8:45 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    my weaknesses
    1.reading-maps,charts and photos reference/research
    2.math-prime and composite numbers,factor sand multiples
    3.science-life enviorment

    Taylor

     

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