Did you know that late this Sunday night into Monday morning you will have the chance to view a total lunar eclipse? Of course only if Winter Storm Harper clears out by then…. which it may! The total lunar eclipse takes place from 11:41pm-12:43am. Lucky for you there is no school for the students on Monday so staying up late isn’t an obstacle to witness this event. According to earthsky.org, this will be the last total lunar eclipse until May 26, 2021.
It just so happens that this month, 6th grade astronomers have been studying what causes the moon to look different in the sky each night and…. why sometimes the sun or moon is eclipsed from our view! In class, students gathered information about the causes for these phenomena and worked together to construct a model and explanation. So, ask a 6th grader to explain why the moon looks red during a total lunar eclipse or why these eclipses occur during a full moon, but not every month- they should know!
For more information about this weekend’s total lunar eclipse, visit https://earthsky.org/?p=295245 or https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/total-lunar-eclipse.html.
If the skies clear and you stay up to see the eclipse, take a selfie with the moon in the background and Tweet @mendhamborosd, #mountainview, #LunarEclipseMV2019
If you or your parent does not have Twitter and you want to share a Total Lunar Eclipse Selfie anyway- email it to Mrs. Magrini @ magrini@mendhamboroschools.org