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Recreation Department Kicks off Sunset Series with Lunar Eclipse & Star Party This Saturday
by Edward Paul Greiff
 | | Joe Rao's telescope was a big hit last year, and should be the same this time |
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Putnam Valley Parks and Recreation Department is launching their free Sunset Series events with a "Lunar Eclipse & Star Party" on Saturday, March 3, 2007 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Leonard Wagner Memorial Town Park.
Sunset Series Director Theodora Moeller is inviting the general public to bring their binoculars, telescopes, chairs, blankets and a flashlight for this, the last "full moon" of the winter season and the first "total eclipse" to be visible locally since October 2004.
The eclipse and star party is hosted by Putnam Valley resident and Westchester News 12 Meteorologist Joe Rao, who also writes a nationally syndicated on-line astronomy column for SPACE.com and is an Associate at New York's Hayden Planetarium.
Joe Rao will have his special ten-inch observation telescopes available and will guide the audience through an exciting tour of the night sky and its various constellations. His shows are so exciting and informative that many residents have been motivated to purchase their own telescopes and join with others as amateur astronomers.
Mr. Rao tells the story of how eclipses used to frighten people because they thought evil spirits were attacking the moon. During an eclipse people would beat drums and make as much noise as possible to drive the evil spirits away. Astronomers of long ago kept records of eclipses and used these records to predict future eclipses. When Columbus sailed to the "New World" he brought with him such a book. On one of his voyages he ran into trouble with some Indians who refused to provide him with food for his crew. Columbus knew from his book of eclipses that an eclipse of the moon was expected soon. He threatened the Indians that he would cut off the moon's light if they did not help him. When the eclipse began, the frightened Indians agreed to help Columbus.
In some years there is no total eclipse of the moon and in others there are two or three. This variation occurs because when the moon circles the earth the moon's path shifts upwards and downwards causing it to pass slightly above or below the earth's shadow and therefore no eclipse takes place at most full moon's throughout the year.
On Saturday, March 3rd according to Joe Rao the moonrise occurs at 5:43pm. However, local sky watchers may have to do a bit of searching to see the moon because at that moment it's almost completely covered by the dark shadow of the earth.
From 5:44pm to 6:58pm a total eclipse of the moon will take place. When the moon first comes into view above the eastern horizon, 99 percent of its silhouette will already be immersed in the "umbra" - the darker of two shadows cast out into space by our planet.
The eclipse will actually start at 4:30, but that phase will not be visible from the tri-state area because it will be daytime and the moon will not yet have risen.
"As it turns out the start of the total phase of the eclipse will almost exactly coincide with moonrise. At that moment moon watchers will probably see nothing. Initially the sky will be too bright and the moon too dim for anyone to see it; the moon might be anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 times fainter than normal during the total eclipse," says Joe Rao.
That situation will change as the sky darkens and the moon gradually climbs higher in the sky above the layer of haze that lies close to the horizon; "atmospheric schmutz" as Joe Rao describes it.
About 20 to 25 minutes after moonrise the darkened moon should finally come into view appearing, says Joe Rao, "like an eerie mottled softball, glowing with a deep copper-orange or ashen color." The coppery hue is caused by sunlight that is bent into the earth's shadow. The red or orange colorations are the same colors that are seen at sunrise and sunset; our atmosphere acts like a lens and bends that ruddy light into the shadow and onto the face of the moon.
After 6:58pm the moon will start to emerge from the earth's shadow. We'll be able to see that the shadow has a curved edge; proof that our planet is round.
The sky show will come to an end at 8:12pm when the last bit of the dark shadow moves off the moon.
Sunset Series Director Theodora Moeller says hopefully the weather will cooperate for the Eclipse and Star party and for their very active summer series of concerts, movies, and other special events. If you would like to be a sponsor for one of these events or would like additional information you can call the Putnam Valley Parks & Recreation Department at 526-3292.
The next big event is the Putnam Valley Baseball Opening Day Parade scheduled for April 14th starting at 12:00 noon in the Town Park.
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