Are you curious about the moon, its phases, and eclipses? Join Penn State Mont Alto assistant professor of Physics and Astronomy, Kimberly Herrmann, as she presents, “The Moon: Darkness and Light,” on Sept. 27 in the General Studies Auditorium on the University’s campus. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m. Weather permitting, a Pre-lunar Eclipse Star Party will follow Herrmann’s talk in the field behind the Multipurpose Activities Center (MAC) from 8 to 9:30 p.m. The presentation and star party are free and open to the public.
“The Sept. 27 eclipse will be special because it will produce a ‘super’ ‘blood’ moon,” said Hermann. “Supermoons occur when the moon reaches its full phase at or near the satellite’s closest approach to earth, and appears abnormally large and bright. The last supermoon eclipse happened in 1982 and the next one won’t take place until 2033.”
Telescope viewing and night sky tours with green laser pointers will be part of the star party activities. Multiple telescopes will be available, courtesy of the TriState Astronomers (www.tristateastronomers.org), a local amateur astronomy club.
“The noticeable part of the total lunar eclipse will begin at 9:07 p.m. and will not end until 12:27 a.m. on Sept. 28,” said Herrmann, “So visitors will want to watch most of the event from their homes,” she said.
More information about the lunar eclipse is available at www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2015-september-28.
For more information about the event, contact Debra Collins, director of public relations and marketing at 717-749-6112 or email dlc43@psu.edu.