October is the month of sky mysteries and shows of wonder.
Highlights include solar and lunar eclipses, blood moons and the Orionid meteor shower.
And, it is a month when American Indian storytelling regarding the night sky begins in earnest around campfires.
Lunar and solar eclipses occur twice a year, but we don’t always get to see them, said Robert Henry, assistant director of the Fairmount Center for Science and Mathematics Education at Wichita State University.
The lunar eclipse is when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. According to Henry, when a full moon passes above or below the Earth’s shadow, no eclipse occurs. But when the moon’s orbit takes it through the Earth’s shadow, that’s when we can see the eclipse.
The total lunar eclipse coming up Wednesday may make for an impressive eclipse, providing clouds don’t get in our way, said Henry, who is also the program manager at Lake Afton Public Observatory.
It will require some early morning rising for those who want to view it. The eclipse will enter the penumbra stage (where there is only a slight dimming of the moon’s light) at 3:15 a.m.; the umbra (where the moon enters the dark part of the shadow) at 4:15 a.m.
“Hey, I’m not the one deciding when these times will be,” Henry said to a someone whining about the earliness of the lunar watching.
“At 5:26 to 6:24 a.m., that’s when the moon will be in the part sometimes referred to as the blood moon,” Henry said of the moon’s reddish glow.
“It will only be that color if there is dust, ash and other particulate matter high up in our atmosphere, the type that is often produced through a lot of volcanic activity.”
If there isn’t enough dust, the moon will be completely dark.
Although the eclipse may be viewed from any location that offers a good view of the early morning sky, the Lake Afton observatory, about 20 miles southwest of Wichita, will be open from 4 to 6:30 a.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 6-12.
During the afternoon of Oct. 23, Kansans will get another chance at seeing an eclipse – this time a partial eclipse of the sun. On that day, between 4 and 6 p.m., the moon will pass between the earth and the sun, offering people – who have taken precautions and are wearing protective eye wear – a chance to view the sun and sun spots.
“People should never look at the sun without proper protection,” Henry said.
On Oct. 23, members of the Kansas Astronomical Observers will set up filtered telescopes at Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Blvd., for the public to view the sun’s eclipse at no charge. Lake Afton Public Observatory also will offer filtered telescopes for viewing. Admission to the observatory is $5 for adults; $3 for children.
If you miss the Oct. 23 eclipse, Henry said, you will have to wait until 2017.
Also on the nights of Oct. 20 and 21, the Orionid meteor shower will light up the night sky, sometimes sending as many as 20 meteors an hour streaking across the sky. The best time to see them is between midnight and before dawn, according to the timeanddate.com website.
On Friday, the Lake Afton Public Observatory is hosting an evening of American Indian storytelling to be held around a campfire. The free event offers a chance to hear about sacred star stories that have passed from generation to generation and how the night skies often influenced tribal life.
October sky events
Total Lunar Eclipse , 4 to 6:30 a.m. Oct. 8, Lake Afton Public Observatory, 25000 W. 39th St. South. Observe the second total lunar eclipse of the year from the Lake Afton Public Observatory. The moon will enter the inner part of Earth’s shadow at about 4:15 a.m. Totality will occur from 5:25 a.m. to 6:24 a.m. and the partial phase will end at about 7:30 a.m. Admission: $5 for adults; $3 for ages 6 - 12. For more information, call 316-978-3350
Partial Solar Eclipse 1:30 to 6 p.m. Oct. 23, Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Blvd. on the outdoor plaza. The event is free. For more information, call 316-660-0600.
Lake Afton will also be open on the afternoon of Oct. 23, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., and staff will be using telescopes with proper filters to view the sun. The public is invited.
Native American Storytelling, 8 p.m. outside the Lake Afton Public Observatory. Jan Brooks, a member of the Ojibwe tribe will host the evening. If skies are overcast so the stars can’t be seen, the program will be canceled. The notice of the cancellation will be posted on the Observatory hotline (316-978-7827 - option 1) and on the Observatory Facebook page no later than 6 p.m. that evening.
Throughout October through Dec. 20, the Lake Afton Observatory is open to the public each Friday and Saturday night, from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
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