By Bernheim
Grab a front row seat to the amazing celestial event that everyone’s talking about – the total lunar eclipse of the Super Blood Wolf Moon.
Experience the total lunar eclipse, set against the twinkling darkness of Bernheim at the Night of the Wolf Moon Eclipse from 9:30 p.m. on January 20 to 1 a.m. on January 21. Join Volunteer Naturalists to observe the night sky, investigate eclipse science and unearth tales of historical eclipses that coincided with unusual events. The eclipse starts at 10:33 p.m., reaches totality at 11:41 p.m., and ends at 12:43 a.m.
This particular lunar eclipse is unique in several ways.
1) It’s a Blood Moon, which means that when the moon is in total eclipse, it will appear a deep red copper color for about an hour as it is illuminated by the sunlight filtered and refracted by the earth’s atmosphere.
2) It’s also a Super Moon, meaning that the moon will be as close to the earth as it gets and therefore will be large and extremely easy to see.
3) The Wolf Moon refers to the first full moon of the year, and the combination of all three make it a Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse.
4) It coincides with Bernheim’s 90th anniversary. For 90 years, we protected this large forest block where you can experience the night sky like nowhere else in the region. In Bernheim’s 90-year history there have been only eight total lunar eclipses that coincided with a Wolf Moon.
The next total lunar eclipse will not occur again until 2021, and the phenomena of the next total lunar eclipse coinciding with a Wolf Moon won’t occur until 2037.
A lunar eclipse is when the earth comes between the sun and moon in just the right way so that the shadow of our planet is cast entirely across the moon. Unlike a solar eclipse, viewers can look directly at the lunar eclipse.
The Bernheim Night of the Wolf Moon Eclipse program includes coffee, hot chocolate and light snacks. Telescopes are not needed for viewing, but binoculars are recommended. The cost is $20 for Bernheim members and $30 for non-members. Meet at the Garden Pavilion. Call 502-955-8512 to register.