Eyes will turn to the skies in Naperville on Aug. 27 as a near-total lunar eclipse should be visible from the area.
Public viewing for eclipse
The Naperville Astronomical Association is inviting community members to Frontier Park, located at 3415 Book Road, that evening for a public viewing.
A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon, when the Earth lines up between the sun and moon. Thursday’s event will be a partial eclipse of about 96%.
John Ehlert, the association’s outreach coordinator, said this could be the best chance to view a lunar eclipse until 2029, weather permitting.
Seeing space up close
Club members will bring telescopes out to the park to give attendees a chance to see the astronomical phenomenon up close, something Ehlert said sparked his own passion for the subject early in life.
“I got a telescope as a young kid. I looked up and saw things in books, but I could actually see them with my own eyes through the telescope,” Ehlert said. “And it gave me a little bit of a sense of wonder at things that I didn’t know very much about that I could learn about by observing.”
When to attend
The association will be at Frontier Park from 9 p.m. to around 11:30 p.m., with the maximum eclipse expected to be visible around 11:13 p.m. He encouraged anyone interested in participating to bring bug spray, dress for the weather and check the association’s website for updates regarding weather.
As of the time of this post, the National Weather Service was forecasting mostly clear skies, with a low around 61 degrees in the evening.
Viewing from home
Ehlert said those who can’t make it to Frontier Park can try to view the eclipse from their own backyard.
“They can actually (go outside) with a pair of binoculars or even just the naked eye and watch the eclipse happen from their own home location. Just come out every half an hour and watch as the shadow progresses across the face of the moon,” Ehlert said.
Exploring the skies around Naperville
Outside of the Aug. 27 lunar eclipse, Ehlert said the NAA meets regularly to observe the sky at locations around Naperville. Those include the Riverwalk and two observatories at the Springbrook Water Reclamation Center, located at 3712 Plainfield-Naperville Road.
“It’s a great group of folks who are interested in (the) hobby, who want to share their interests, and who also have a continued curiosity and want to learn more,” Ehlert said.
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