Today, Oct. 23rd, most of the United States and Canada will be able to view the partial solar eclipse that will start at about 6pm EST. An eclipse, of course, is when an astronomical body is obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or having another body pass between it and the viewer . To mark the occasion I thought it would be interesting if we looked at some other moons in our solar system. So here are ten quick facts about all those moons that orbit the planets.
In the evening hours of this Thursday October 23, 2014 a partial solar eclipse will be visible here in Baton Rouge, weather permitting. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. On Thursday, the center of the Moon’s shadow will miss the Earth, but a partial eclipse will be visible before sunset across most of North America. If you want to see a total eclipse you’ll have to wait a few more years.
On Wednesday, Oct. 8th, there will be a unique spectacle in the sky: a lunar eclipse.
Let’s take a look at how lunar eclipses occur, why the moon appears to turn red, and the best way to photograph it for ourselves.
Irene W. Pennington Planetarium 