Thursday, 28 October at 3:00 am, Ta’ Qali.
A total lunar eclipse awaits us before dawn. Totality will last for 71 minutes with mid-eclipse occurring at 5:04 am. Part of Earth’s dark shadow touches the Moon for 3 hours 39 minutes. Rather than turning black, the Moon usually glows deep orange or red when totally eclipsed. Astronomical Society members will be observing (weather permitting!) at Ta’ Qali, near the northern end of the large parking area opposite the main entrance of the National Park. We will be setting up equipment from 1:30 am, so anyone wishing to view the penumbral phases of the eclipse is encouraged to visit the site earlier. It also needs to be reminded that one may just as well watch the event from home – just look at the Moon from 3:15 am onwards early Thursday morning.
The public is invited to attend. This year marks the 20th year since the Astronomical Society Of Malta was formed. A conference about astronomy in Malta will be held on Saturday 27th November 2004 at the Waterfront Hotel The Strand, Gzira.