The high-powered telescopes at the University of North Texas Rafes Urban Astronomy Center will be open for the public at 8 p.m. on Sept. 27 (Sunday) for a watch party to view this month’s rare combination of a supermoon and total lunar eclipse! You will be able to shoot photos of the moon close up with their smart phones and cameras. Admission to the watch party is $3 per person, cash or check only.
A lunar eclipse is the point in time when Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, causing the moon to travel through the umbra of the Earth’s shadow, which gives the moon a reddish tint. A supermoon happens when a full moon occurs at the same time as the moon’s closest orbital approach to Earth, making the moon appear large in the night sky.
The Rafes Urban Astronomy Center is located at 2350 Tom Cole Road in Denton. Gates will open at 8 p.m. and the event will last until 10:30 p.m., weather permitting. In the event of inclement weather, a decision to cancel will be made by 5 p.m. on Sept. 27, and will be posted on UNT Astronomy’s Facebook and Twitter pages. The @UNT_Astronomy Twitter feed can also be seen on the UNT Astronomy website.
