SASKATOON – The observatory at the University of Saskatchewan will be opening its doors to the public this Sunday for the total lunar eclipse.
“We are going to see a rather unusual event on Sunday evening when the full moon is going to pass into the Earth’s shadow,” said Stan Shadick, an instructor in the department of physics and engineering at the university.
It’s the last total lunar eclipse that will be visible in the Saskatoon area until 2018.
The total eclipse starts at 8:11 local time and lasts until 9:23 p.m. Partial eclipses will be visible from an hour before to an hour after the total eclipse.
READ MORE: How to watch Sunday’s ‘super moon’ lunar eclipse
Shadick described what observers will see.
“During the eclipse in the first phase, I like to say that the moon is going to appear as if some sort of cosmic Cookie Monster has been gradually chomping away at the moon. And during the total phase of the eclipse, the moon will take on a dark red, blood red or brownish red colour.”
“So you will see that strange colour of the moon in the evening sky and that will fade as more of the moon emerges from the shadow of the Earth.”
For those wondering where to look when the eclipse starts, the moon will be situated low in the eastern sky just above the horizon.
Observatory staff and volunteers will be on hand to help people view the total eclipse through the Duncan refractor telescope.
The free viewing will take place between 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. CT at the facility located on campus, one block north of College Drive at 108 Wiggins Rd.
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