By Miranda Owen, Staff Reporter.
Delta’s Boulder Pathway, outside of Career Services, was packed with students early in the morning on Wednesday Oct. 8; all of them eager to watch the total lunar eclipse.
The event, hosted by Delta’s Astronomy and Physics professors, started at 5:00 a.m., so students would be able to see every stage of the eclipse.
Professor Kevin Dehne thought that it was important for the students to experience the rare event, that only occurs about every two years. “I hope that they develop an appreciation for what the night sky has to offer,” he said, his eyes fixated on the moon as it developed a reddish hue.
A total lunar eclipse occurs as the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow in space. As the moon passes through the umbra (the middle, darkest part of the shadow), it appears to turn a red-brown color, giving the lunar eclipse its nickname the “Blood Moon”. When the moon is completely covered by the Earth’s shadow, it is called totality.
Other objects in the night sky were observed as well through telescopes, including the Owl Cluster and Sirius (the brightest star in the night sky).
