The weekend of Friday the 13th will be extra eerie this year. A “super flower blood moon” total lunar eclipse will be visible to an estimated 2.7 billion people, covering multiple continents with a rare view. For Georgia stargazers, the Tellus Science Museum is the perfect spot to watch the crimson spectacle.
What
Known as a Flower Moon, May’s moon will undergo an eclipse on the weekend of May 13. According to space.com, the eclipse will be visible across North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, the eastern Pacific, South Pacific and New Zealand.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. This lunar eclipse is also a “blood moon” due to the Earth’s atmosphere.
As the atmosphere refracts the different wavelengths of visible light, the light begins to bend around the Earth. Consequently, the longer wavelengths of light make it back to the moon more clearly, creating a red hue — which is then refracted back to Earth and seen by stargazers.
Where
While the lunar eclipse will be visible by the naked eye, the best stargazing experience will be going on at the Tellus Science Museum.
Located in Cartersville, the museum will be hosting a special moon watching event at its observatory and planetarium. The museum will also stream a live feed of the eclipse from their observatory into their theater, where Astronomer Karisa Zdanky will provide updates throughout the eclipse.
Small telescopes will also be provided across the Tellus lawn for additional viewing.
If things prove to be cloudy during the event, the theater will stream live images from observatories across the country. The Bentley Planetarium will host special lunar eclipse shows as well.
When
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the full moon will occur at 12:14 a.m. on Monday, May 16. The eclipse will begin Sunday, May 15, at 9:32 p.m. and ultimately reach its peak just before the end of the full moon, space.com said.
The Tellus Science Museum will open at 10 p.m. in preparation for the eclipse. The Bentley Planetarium special lunar eclipse shows will begin at 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
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