Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Tue, Sep 17, 2024 9:00 pm - 11:30 pm

Cost:

$5 Suggested Donation per person 5 years and older

On Tuesday, September 18, 2024 the Harvest Moon will occur, and with it a Partial Lunar Eclipse is taking place, which will be visible to all in New England. This will be an awesome night and Frosty Drew Observatory is opening to celebrate the event starting at 9:00 pm offering excellent views of the eclipse. We will stay on site and open until 11:30 pm, which is when the eclipse will be completed.

A Lunar Eclipse happens when the Moon passes into Earth's shadow. This only happens during the full lunar phase. Since this eclipse will be a partial eclipse, only part of the Moon will pass into the Earth's dark shadow, called the Umbra. During the period of maximum eclipse the partial eclipse will be visible on the north side of the Moon.

The eclipse will begin at 8:41 pm Tuesday evening and will start as a dimming of one side of the Moon. At 10:12 pm the partial eclipse will begin when a chunk of the Moon will start to appear missing. Maximum eclipsing of the Moon will happen at 10:44 pm. Once maximum eclipse ends, the outset partial eclipse will continue until 11:15 pm, with the penumbral outset ending at 12:47 am.

The Frosty Drew Sky Theatre will be open showing a live stream of the lunar eclipse on the big screen. The large observatory telescope will be showing the eclipse, and on screen in the Observatory will be a live stream of the lunar eclipse. We will have telescopes setup outside the observatory offering views of the night sky and the lunar eclipse.

Note that due to an unfavorable forecast for this event, we are not requiring visitors to purchase tickets. We are still planning to host the event at this time, though views of the eclipse will probably not happen due to overcast conditions.

Take a moment to check out our galleries of past lunar eclipses at Frosty Drew:
Beaver Moon Eclipse of 2022
Flower Moon Eclipse of 2022
Wolf Moon Eclipse of 2019
Harvest Moon Eclipse of 2015

So dust off those binoculars. Grab a blanket, lawn chair, some tasty eats, family, and friends and hang out with us in Ninigret Park under the eclipse of the Harvest Moon.