THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
70 Falmouth Street      Portland, Maine 04103
(207) 780-4249      usm.maine.edu/planet
43.6667° N    70.2667° W  Altitude:  10 feet below sea level Founded
January 1970
2021-2022: LXIII
"Wonder rather than doubt is at the root of all knowledge." -Abraham Joshua
Heschel

THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
May 2022 Lunar Eclipse Part II

Today we conclude our two-part series about the May 15/16, 2022 total lunar
eclipse. As is often our wont, we'll use the Q/A format. While some of
these queries have been previously addressed, a couple will be new,
including a fascinating question a subscriber posed just yesterday.


*WILL THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM BE OPEN FOR THIS ECLIPSE. IF SO, WHEN WILL
YOU OPEN AND CLOSE?*
Weather permitting, of course, the planetarium will be open for the total
lunar eclipse. We will open at 9:30 p.m. At 9:45 p.m. we'll present a brief
show about the lunar eclipse in our star dome theater. At 10:25 p.m., a
couple of minutes prior to the moon's first contact with the umbra (inner
shadow), we'll gather outside to observe the eclipse. We will close at 1:00
a.m., just after the end of totality. It has been our experience that the
vast majority of people lose interest once the moon starts leaving the
umbra. Again, if the sky is overcast, we will not open. Note: the penumbral
eclipse will be in progress during our star dome presentation. However, as
mentioned yesterday, the penumbral phase of the eclipse isn't truly
noticeable.

*EVERY LUNAR ECLIPSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SOLAR ECLIPSE THAT OCCURS EITHER
AFTER OR BEFORE IT. WHEN WILL THAT ECLIPSE HAPPEN AND WILL WE SEE ANY OF
IT?*
A partial solar eclipse will occur on April 30th. Unfortunately, it will
only be visible in the southern hemisphere: South America and Antarctica.
*WILL ANY OTHER LUNAR ECLIPSE OCCUR THIS YEAR? IF SO, WILL WE SEE IT?*
Yes, another total lunar eclipse will occur on November 8, 2022. We will
see the first half of this eclipse. Totality begins at 5:16 a.m. and ends
at 6:41 a.m. However, in Portland, the moon will set at 6:32 a.m. Although
the moon shall remain above the horizon for most of the totality period, it
will be exceedingly difficult to see owing to its low position along the
horizon. And, in anticipation of the question, no we likely won't be open
for that event.
* WILL ECLIPSES EVER STOP BECAUSE OF THE MOON'S RECESSION FROM EARTH?*
Yes, we've answered this question many times before, but it is always worth
repeating. The moon is moving away from Earth at the rate of 3 -4 cm per
year. However, Earth's shadow extends about 840,000 miles into space and
the moon's distance from Earth, which currently can't exceed about 252,000
miles, will only increase to about 325,000 miles by the time the Sun
expands into the red giant stage. Consequently, lunar eclipses will
continue as long as the Sun continues to shine.

*NO OFFENSE, BUT WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THIS ECLIPSE? -JB *
I find this question, which I've been asked many times, fascinating. The
short answer is, well, you shouldn't have to care about it at all. You are
under no obligation to be interested in astronomical matters. In fact, many
people lead rich, wonderful lives without giving more than a passing glance
at the night sky. (Of course, in modern day, the night sky is wholly
obscured for most.) On the other hand, to watch an eclipse is to observe
the interplay of worlds: a satellite that has been revolving around our
planet for nearly four billion years will be moving through a shadow it has
entered more than a billion times in the past and will continue to do more
than a billion times in the future. The vast majority of those passages
have gone unnoticed. Now, by virtue of the complex cosmos contained within
our heads, we can watch, study and predict these eclipse motions. We care
because through us the Universe becomes introspective and, ultimately,
admires itself.




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