During the evening of Thursday, August 27, and the early hours of Friday, August 28, join Dr. John Zielinski at the Rice Creek Observatory to view a near-total lunar eclipse — watching as the Earth's shadow obscures the Moon and only a dim, reddish or brownish cast remains. Free light refreshments will be available to attendees.

Observing will begin at 10 p.m. on Thursday, August 27 and end at 2 a.m. on Friday, August 28. The timeline of the eclipse is:

• 10:33 pm: Partial eclipse begins—moon starts to become red
• 12:12 am: Maximum eclipse—93% in shadow
• 1:51 am: Partial eclipse ends

Weather Dependent

Since clear weather is needed for observing the night sky, interested participants should call (315) 312-6620 after 6 pm on the evening of the event to hear a recorded event update based on the weather conditions.

Location, Parking, and Student Transportation

Free parking is available by the Rice Creek Field Station building, located at 193 Thompson Road in Oswego. Van shuttle transportation is available for SUNY Oswego students, with pickups at the Marano Campus Center bus stop at 10:15 pm, 11:45 pm, and 12:45 am. Rice Creek is a short, 7-minute drive away.

Accessibility

We welcome people of all abilities to Rice Creek Field Station. Observation Sessions are accessible to individuals who use a wheelchair. The observatory can be accessed via the sidewalk that passes through the pavilion from the parking circle. Individuals can view celestial objects through portable telescopes and projection or video eyepieces affixed to the large fixed telescope. Accessible restrooms are located inside the main building. So we may best accommodate your needs, please call or email at least one day in advance if possible: 315-312-6677 or rcfs@oswego.edu.

Additional telescope observation nights can be seen on the monthly telescope event page. 

Image Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker