Barstow, CA –Barstow Community College (BCC) will host a telescope viewing of a rare Supermoon Lunar Eclipse on Sunday, September 27th at 6:30 PM. Everyone is invited to visit the college observatory that evening to view the Super “Blood Moon” through our main telescope which is a 16" Schmidt-Cassegrain Reflector on a permanent equatorial mount.
The Supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the Moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit making the Moon appear abnormally large. In fact, the Supermoon appears up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than the Moon at other times.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the Earth’s main shadow. It doesn’t go completely dark; rather, it turns a reddish hue because it's hit by sunlight that has passed through all of the Earth’s sunrises and sunsets. For this reason, a total lunar eclipse is often referred to as a “Blood Moon.” Supermoon eclipses are very rare and have occurred on Earth only 5 times since 1900. The event on this September 27threpresents the biggest eclipsed Moon in our lifetimes.
Weather permitting (we anticipate clear skies and warm temperatures) the public is invited to look through the college’s telescope to witness this exciting and unusual event. A narration will be given by Astronomy Professor Scott Bulkley, and students of his Observational Astronomy Class will also be on hand to answer questions. The event will run from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. The observatory is located on Veterans Parkway behind the College campus. Parking is available on Veterans Parkway. There is no charge for this event. For additional information, please contact Scott Bulkley at 760-252-2411, ext. 7301
Barstow Community College is an accredited, open access institution of higher learning committed to providing our students, community, and military population with the educational tools needed to achieve personal goals and professional growth. To learn more about the college and the services provided to the community of Barstow, please visit our website: www.barstow.edu
