Outreach

The Moon Turned Red

On the night of March 13-14, several hundred people gathered at the INAOE facilities in Tonatzintla to follow the eclipse, accompanied by researchers, technicians, and astrophysics students.

In addition, given the timing of the eclipse, a live broadcast was held on Facebook Live, which received more than 2,000 reactions and 700 simultaneous followers, who sent us more than 800 comments and questions.

Why does the Moon turn red? This was the most frequently asked question by those who followed this live broadcast of the recent total lunar eclipse, as well as by those who visited the INAOE facilities to observe it accompanied by the Institute's astronomers.

During a total lunar eclipse, our satellite plunges into Earth's shadow, hiding from sunlight. The only light reaching the lunar surface comes from the edges of our atmosphere, where air molecules scatter most of the blue light. Thus, the light that passes through is primarily red, and when reflected off the lunar surface, it causes the Moon to glow reddish in the night sky.

After an introductory talk by Dr. Emanuele Bertone on eclipses in the solar system, visitors were able to visit the Schmidt Camera and observe through a dozen telescopes placed in the Institute's gardens.

In addition to the introductory lecture, a series of talks were offered, mainly by students and technicians from the graduate program in astrophysics. The topics ranged from the Orion Nebula to the evolution of stars and even galaxies.

Despite the unoptimal timing and day, the eclipse began at 9:57 p.m. on Thursday, March 13th, and ended at 4:00 a.m. on Friday, March 14th. The crowd remained in high spirits, right up to the "wave" they made in the Schmidt Camera. More than a couple hundred people were at the Institute even after totality ended at 1:31 a.m.

All of this serves to reinforce INAOE's commitment to continue bringing astronomy and the research we do to the general public. Many thanks to those who attended and to those who followed us. We invite you to check our social media and website to stay informed about upcoming events.

Photo: René Padilla.