During the evening of Monday, March 2, and the early hours of Tuesday, March 3, join experts from the Rice Creek Observatory on the top floor of the Shineman Center to view the total lunar eclipse — watching as the Earth's shadow completely obscures the Moon and only a dim, reddish or brownish cast remains. The eclipsed Moon will set into Lake Ontario, promising a compelling sight.

Observing will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 2, with viewing of celestial objects like planets, nebulae, galaxies, and the full moon. Then, the main event — the eclipse — will begin at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3. The timeline of the eclipse is:

• 4:50 a.m.: Partial eclipse begins
• 6:04 a.m.: Total eclipse begins (totality)
• 6:33 a.m.: Middle of total eclipse (totality)
• 6:38 a.m.: Sunrise on eastern horizon (totality)
• 6:41 a.m.: Moonset on western horizon, into Lake Ontario (totality). The International Space Station will fly by the moon just as it sets.

The watch party will take place in 401 Shineman and the adjacent rooftop deck — with multiple telescopes, binoculars, and a livestream available. Pizza and light refreshments will be available free of charge to attendees.

Weather Dependent

Since clear weather is needed for observing the night sky, interested participants should call (315) 312-6620 after 6 pm and again after 10 pm on the evening of the event to hear a recorded message announcing whether or not the weather conditions will allow the session to take place.

Remote Viewing

Virtual viewing of this event is also possible through a live stream on the YouTube.com/@PompeyObservatory channel. 

Locoation, Transportation & Parking

This event, while hosted by Rice Creek Observatory staff, takes place on main campus in the Richard S. Shineman Center. Free public event parking is available in front of the Richard S. Shineman Center (the C-8 lots south of the building) with no parking pass required. The parking lot entrance is at the intersection of Washington Blvd and Bayliss St in Oswego.

Personnel

This event is hosted by Dr. Kamal Jabbour, a visiting scholar at the Rice Creek Observatory, and Dr. John Zielinski, a retired SUNY Oswego faculty member in astronomy.

Additional Information

Individuals with disabilities needing accommodations to attend this event should contact Rice Creek at rcfs@oswego.edu at least 48 hours prior to the event.

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

Image Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker