SM调教所

Beginning at 1:02 a.m. on Nov. 8, people in Boulder will be treated to a total听. A little later in the month, Nov. 17鈥�18, the Leonids meteor shower will light up the night sky.

Francisco 鈥淭ito鈥� Salas, operations manager at SM调教所 Boulder鈥檚 Fiske Planetarium, discusses both events and offers tips on viewing the night sky.

Best time to see the lunar eclipse

Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses last a while. After the eclipse begins, viewers will have a long window of time to take in the views, as the moon becomes more reddish over time. This eclipse will last about six hours, according to Salas.听

鈥淟unar eclipses听last a long time,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淲ith a lunar eclipse you have time to enjoy." Since it's November, it's best to be prepared, so Salas also recommends听bringing a blanket and warm clothing outside.

In total, the eclipse will last from 1:02鈥�6:56 a.m., with the total eclipse lasting from 3:16鈥�4:41 a.m. Viewers will have plenty of time to appreciate the spectacular view.听

How and where听to view the lunar eclipse

For this eclipse, viewing tools are optional. Some observers like to see a lot of details, while others may like to see the moon stand out against the dark background of the night sky.听Salas recommends a small pair of binoculars or a telescope for those who want to see the details of the moon's surface.

The best place to watch the eclipse is from your own backyard. If on campus, step outside your residence hall to an area where you can see the night sky. You don鈥檛 want to miss your chance to see this total听lunar eclipse, because it will be several years before the next one is visible in Boulder.

鈥淚t is very rare that you can see it from the same area,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 be able to see the next lunar eclipse from here, but somebody else in some other country or area on Earth will be able to see it.鈥澨�

This eclipse is viewable from many parts of the world. This includes much of South America, North America, Asia, North and East Europe, Australia and more.

听

Why does the moon turn reddish during an eclipse?

The most noticeable quality of a lunar eclipse is the moon鈥檚 change of color. Once the moon enters the Earth鈥檚 shadow, it becomes a reddish-orange. This is what gives the moon its nickname of 鈥渂lood moon鈥� during a total eclipse, Salas听said.听

鈥淎 lunar eclipse happens听when the moon enters the Earth鈥檚 shadow,鈥� Salas said.

As the lunar eclipse gets going, the moon will go from appearing slightly red, to a completely reddish moon.

Salas says to get outside around 3:16 a.m. to view the fully red moon.听

鈥淭he whole moon will be in the actual shadow of the Earth,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淭his听one is totality. Then it will just continue moving.鈥�

How often do lunar eclipses happen?

Lunar eclipses only happen a few times per year. In order for a lunar eclipse to happen, the Earth, moon and sun must be aligned.听

鈥淭hat doesn't happen every month because the orbit of the moon around the Earth is a little bit tilted. It鈥檚 about 5 degrees,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we don鈥檛 have a lunar eclipse every month, which makes it special because they are very unique.鈥�

The Leonids meteor shower Nov. 17鈥�18

This year's next big meteor shower is the Leonids, which usually produces 10鈥�15 meteors per hour. Once again, the best time to view is past midnight. The expected peak is from late night Nov. 17 until dawn Nov. 18.

Salas says to be sure听you are outside听when the shower hits. It does not last as long as the lunar eclipse.听

Meteor showers occur听when the Earth travels into debris left by a comet trail. This debris then heats up as it hits the atmosphere, producing the light streaks we see听as a meteor shower.

鈥淢eteorites are trickier to see because you are capturing the glimpse of starlight,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淟ook towards the constellation of Leo.鈥澨�

Salas recommends using only the human eye to view meteorites, as they come from various directions. The shower gets its name because most meteorites come from the direction of Leo.

There are plenty of ways to stargaze

Whether you're at home or at an observatory, stargazing is fun for everyone.听Check out Sommers-Bausch Observatory for more information and viewing opportunities.听Fiske Planetarium also has information about astronomy, meteor showers听and more! They put on various shows听and tickets can be purchased .听

About Tito听

Salas, operations manager for the planetarium, has spent 27听years at the planetarium where he began working as a SM调教所 student. Tito has been interested in astronomy and stargazing since he was a child. Now, he gets to share that passion and knowledge with all Fiske Planetarium听visitors.