While most of the people of this planet take the moon for grnted, the folks in space programs around the world, including at NASA, do not. In fact, beginning at 5:30 p.m. MST this Saturday night, is the official kick-off of “International Observe the Moon Night”. There are celebrations planned all over the world to celebrate it.
This Saturday night (assuming that the night sky is clear enough where you’ll be) you can join people around the world to pause and look up and celebrate in what NASA is calling a Global Moon Party… follow this link to learn more about the night’s activities and join in where you are — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v61JyMG_zMs
Saturday night, Oct. 16 there will be a live NASA TV broadcast and many other events planned. For instance, you can:
- Join the conversation on social media using #ObserveTheMoon, and explore lunar views and art from around the world. Image: gallery of photos from the International Observe the Moon Night 2020 Flickr group.
- Start a month-long lunar journal
- Take on a Moon Observing Challenge from the Astronomical League
- Get tips for taking moon photography — not just with professional cameras, but with just your cell phone.
- Write a Moon Haiku
- Learn the phases of the moon
- Go to a planetarium to view the craters of the moon
- Make friends with someone with a telescope to aim at the moon to see it closer up
- Take a warm jacket, a blanket and ask a friend to join you on a hillside — and just gaze at the moon.
- Stay inside and get on line to see the events happening around the world and join in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v61JyMG_zMs
For more detained information about this global moon-viewing event: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/
Already have my reflector our on the back deck …. looking forward to using it again after months.
Dan Smith
In order to fully enjoy the moon as we used to do here in Salida we would need the hospital to turn off their giant, obnoxious vanity H’s along with the fools on the hill who seem to think that our night sky is their light canvas. We’d have to convince Butala’s overnight sleeping semi drivers to turn off their lights and our pot grows to block theirs from our view. These are things we have been trying to regain since our hospital moved in. Maybe if someone else asks, they might turn them off for the night instead of making them brighter for asking!