Think it. Try it. Explore it.
DAVIS ASTRONOMY CLUB
at Explorit
The Astronomy Club has been a part of Explorit Science Center since 1987.
It has no dues and anyone can join. Our members range in knowledge of astronomy from pre-school to post-doctorate.
Several evenings a year the Davis Astronomy Club meets at Explorit on 5th Street, to discuss astronomy topics of continuing interest, or to prepare for important celestial events. Special observation sessions for such events as eclipses and meteor showers are held where members are encouraged to bring their scopes.
To become a member or for more information contact Vinita Domier at vcdomier@yahoo.com.
What Does this Club Offer You?
If you have always been fascinated by the heavens or the exploration of outer space but haven't known how to start your own astronomical journey--this is the club for you. We have shown many aspiring stargazers their ‘first’ constellation, their ‘first’ double star, where the planets are and how to use a telescope. We can help you decide on the best binoculars, telescopes, computer programs and star atlases, and help you decide what you need and (more importantly don’t need) to enjoy and discover the cosmos. This club can be your ‘training wheels’ so you can finally begin exploring the universe at your own speed and in your own direction. We can even show you how your observations can be used for scientific research, if that is your goal. In short, this club aims to be a friendly ‘launch pad’ for your personal exploration of astronomy.
The Astronomy Club not only benefits its members, but the larger goals of Explorit as well. Working with school teachers and youth groups such as the Scouts and Campfire, the club has introduced hundreds--if not thousands--to the cosmos. Helping others to observe, communicate, reason, organize, and relate information about the sun, moon, planets and stars brings many rewards for Club volunteers. Among these rewards are: finding new friends, learning the theories, facts and processes of science, and discovering new perspectives on ourselves and the cosmos.
For more current information, please contact Vinita Domier at vcdomier@yahoo.com.
Total Lunar Eclipse Viewing
Thursday, March 13, 10pm at Mace Ranch Park
by Vinita Domier (vcdomier@yahoo.com)
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Davis Astronomy Club will also hold a special free meeting, weather permitting, on Thursday, March 13 night, starting at 10pm at Mace Ranch Park in Davis (by Explorit Science Center) to view the entirety of the total lunar eclipse celestial show.
On Thursday, March 13, the lunar eclipse event will commence at 10:09pm with the initial partial eclipse. This will be followed by totality that will begin at 11:26pm with maximum totality occurring at 11:58pm and ending at 12:31am. The lunar eclipse will end at 1:47am on Friday, March 14 with conclusion of the final partial eclipse.
During the totality portion of the lunar eclipse event, the entire Moon will be in the Earth's dark umbral shadow. The Moon, however, will not be completely dark during totality as it will be partially illuminated by the longer wavelengths of sunlight refracting through the Earth's enveloping atmosphere. As a result, the Moon will appear deep reddish-hued during the 65 minutes of totality.
An eclipse happens when the orbiting Earth and the orbiting Moon align with the Sun. A solar eclipse occurs only when the new-phase Moon is between the Sun and the Earth and all three bodies are, or nearly are, in a straight line. A lunar eclipse occurs only when the Earth is between the Sun and full-phase Moon and all three bodies are, or nearly are, in a straight line.
Eclipses are rare celestial events as solar eclipses do not occur at most new Moons and lunar eclipses do not occur at most full Moons because the orbital planes of the Moon and the Earth are tilted by 5.1 degrees to each other. Total solar and lunar eclipses are rarer events compared to partial eclipses because the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon have to be in perfect alignment for the former, whereas they can in near-perfect alignment for the latter.
The next total lunar eclipse visible locally will be in a year from now and much later at night - on March 3, 2026, with the initial partial eclipse starting at 1:50am, maximum totality at 3:33am, and final partial eclipse ending at 5:17am.
For more information, please contact Vinita Domier at vcdomier@yahoo.com.