Dec. 19, 2018
Contact: Nancy Lee Gomer, Marketing Coordinator, 636-949-7535, or 636-795-1137, ngomer@sccmo.org
St. Charles County, Missouri – Bring the family out to Broemmelsiek Park this winter to witness one of the most exciting celestial events of the new year—a total lunar eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon! This spectacular event in the night sky is a beautiful sight to see as the moon takes on a reddish, yellow or orange glow when the Earth comes between the sun and moon and covers the moon with its shadow.
The public is invited to join the Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri (ASEM) during the viewing from 9:35 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, through 12:50 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, at the park’s Astronomy Viewing Area, 1615 Schwede Road near Wentzville. The full eclipse begins at 10:41 p.m., and ends at 11:43 p.m., but total duration of the eclipse is 5 hours 12 minutes, if the sky is clear.
The total phase of this total lunar eclipse will be visible from North and South America, and western parts of Europe and Africa. Unlike a solar eclipse, the lunar eclipse can be viewed with the naked eye and no special equipment is needed. However, ASEM members will have complex telescopes set-up to give a closer look at the moon’s surface and other astronomical happenings.
For more information about the St. Charles County Parks and Recreation Department’s event, visit the ASEM online at asemonline.org/.
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