See lunar eclipise through telescope during ‘loony’ gathering at Tattnall Square park

It will be a most spectacular show Sunday night and you can step in your own yard and see it.

But if you want a better look at Sunday’s lunar eclipse, beginning just after 9:30 p.m. and finishing at 2:50 a.m., head to Tattnall Square Park where people will gather and the Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation Department will have telescopes people can use for a closer look.

“This will be visible to our entire side of the world, it’s not like a solar eclipse that’s only visible to a narrow band of people,” said Stephen Rahn, an amateur astronomer who’s heading the park moon gazing. “It’s visible to the naked eye, better with binoculars and really remarkable with a good telescope like we’ll have.”

Rahn, an educator who often works with recreation and parks, schools and museums, said he’ll bring three telescopes and other amateur astronomers may bring more.

He said the public is welcome to bring their gear also.

“This lunar eclipse is great for natural and telescope viewing because it’s in the middle of the night and very high in the sky. When it’s lower, it’s more difficult to see. It’s during a big, bright full moon, of course, and there are several things to enhance it.

Even the fact of so many fires this year and their effect on the atmosphere will likely make the moon’s color a much darker and deeper red than usual.”

This lunar eclipse has numerous designations: blood moon due to coloration from only the sun’s reddish light getting to it, super blood moon because of the moon’s nearness and brightness making it look larger, and even super blood wolf mood because of how old farmer’s almanacs used “wolf” to name certain full moons.

“It will be like every sunset you’ve ever seen on earth focused on the entire moon for about an hour,” Rahn said.

Just after 9:30 p.m., Rahn said the lower left side of the moon will begin getting noticeably darker as earth’s shadow covers it.

For an hour after, the diming will continue. For the next hour, moon stages go backward from full to crescent to full eclipse which begins at 11:41 p.m. Maximum eclipse is at 12:12 a.m. and full eclipse ends at about 12:45 a.m. when Tattnall viewing also ends.

Dominque Lewis of parks and recreation said the event is family friendly, restrooms will be open, and that those coming should bring chairs, blankets and maybe snacks, hot chocolate, coffee or tea.

Rahn said there are other viewings in Middle Georgia, such as one led by Mercer University professor Matt Marone on the Mercer campus.

Though lunar eclipses are precisely predictable, the weather isn’t.

“I’m expecting good viewing,” Rahn said. “But it is supposed to be very cold, so dress for it. If the forecast changes and it rains or there’s complete cloud cover, we’ll have to cancel.”

Find information on Facebook by searching Lunar Eclipse Macon or Stephen Rahn Astronomy.

Lunar Eclipse Observation

Where: Tattnall Square Park, 1155 College St., Macon

When: 9:30 p.m.-12:45 a.m. Jan 20

Cost: Free