International Dark Sky Week 4/21-4/28, 2025

• As International Dark Sky Week begins on April 21, 2025, join us in the planetarium for a FREE program as we learn about light pollution and how it affects the night sky.  In this program we will tour our night sky locating the major celestial objects that are currently visible.  Along the way we will discuss how light pollution affects our ability to see these objects and the steps that we can all take to minimize our contribution to the light pollution around us.  Join us as we explore our Dark Skies! 

  • Registration is requrired due to limited seating. 

  • Register at www.northpenncep.org or by contacting the  Community Education Office at 215-853-1028 or 215-853-1029.

• More information on Internation Dark Sky Week can be found here: https://idsw.darksky.org/

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Here are some images from last week's Total Lunar Eclipse:

• Please note thatthe clouds moved in right before Totality.  Therefore the final images were not taken by me locally but were taken by amateur astronomers from around the country.

Total Lunar Eclipse!!!

• On the night of March 13-14, the Moon will pass directly through the Earth's shadow causing a Total Lunar Eclipse to occur.    The last time this occured and was visible from our area was November 8, 2022 and while there will be another Total Lunar Eclipse is 2026, we will not have a great view of it.  So here is some information you can use to better view this amazing celestial event!

• Please note that you do not need any special equipment to view the Total Lunar Eclipse and its is perfectly safe to view with your unaided eyes.

• Eclipse Information:

  • Partial Eclipse Begins--1:09 am, 3/14

  • Total Eclipse Begins--2:26 am, 3/14

  • Maximum Eclipse--2:58 am, 3/14

  • Total Eclipse  Ends--3:31 am, 3/14

  • Partial Eclipse Ends--4:47 am, 3/14

• The Full Moon will be at its highest point in the South as the Eclipse begins and will drift to the West throughout the eclipse.

• More information can be found at the following links:

  • Astronomy Magazine: https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-march-7-to-14-2025/

  • TimeandDate.com: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@5197161?iso=20250314

• Clear Skies!!!

Daylight Saving Time

• Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend at 2:00 am on March 9.  

• For more information check out this article: https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/5156284-what-if-we-didnt-spring-forward-when-daylight-saving-time-begins/

NASA Deep Space Network(DSN)

Ever wonder how astronomers can communicate with spacecraft like the Voyager probes that are millions or billions of miles away from the Earth.  Check out the following sites to understand more about the DSN.

Deep Space Network(DSN) (main site) 

If you want to know what the DSN is doing right now, check out the following link:

Deep Space Network NOW  

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Every day you can find a new image of the cosmos taken by astronomers and explained by astronomers.  Check it out at the following link: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html