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Things to Do for a Lunar Eclipse

You don't have to worry about damaging your eyes when you view a lunar eclipse. Because the moon reflects the rays of the sun, the intensity of the light is much lower, making it easier for you, your friends and family to plan an eclipse party. During warm months, take advantage of the the great outdoors and host a party with food and blankets. If it's cold and wet, move the eclipse-viewing party inside. All you need is a clear sky -- or access to views of a clear sky on the Internet or your television.

Celebrate Outdoors
- Weather permitting, the best place to observe a lunar eclipse is outdoors. You and your friends are able to observe the moon's progression through the eclipse stages as it moves through the Earth's shadow. As a total lunar eclipse progresses, the moon takes on a red hue, making this type of eclipse the most interesting to watch, according to the Mr. Eclipse website. In contrast, the moon only darkens slightly during a partial eclipse.
  
  Unlike a solar eclipse, you do not need filters to protect your eyes. Instead, view the eclipse through a telescope and measure its progression by observing the moon's craters as they enter and leave the umbral shadow.
Planetarium Party
- Plan to visit a planetarium in or near your community that is hosting a fa planetarium party when the next lunar eclipse occurs. The Adler Planetarium in Chicago invites people to visit and observe a lunar eclipse -- MSNBC.com quotes Mark Hammergren, a staff astronomer at the Adler Planetarium, as saying, "One of the beauties of a lunar eclipse is that you can observe it with the naked eye, but viewing it through a telescope greatly enhances the experience."
Weather Not Permitting
- If the weather in your area does not cooperate, you can still view a lunar eclipse via the Internet. During the winter months, you might not look forward to sitting outside watching the moon slowly progress through an eclipse for several hours. The convenience of the Internet and the warm comfort of your own home make it easier for you and your family to experience an eclipse -- even better, you can doze off for short periods, then wake up to see how far the moon has moved, suggests the MSNBC website.
Take Eclipse Photos for Posterity
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has created a Flickr group for lunar eclipse fans who want to take photos, then upload them to the site. After the total lunar eclipse of December 20 through 21, 2010, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory chose one of the photos uploaded by an eclipse-watcher for use as its official JPL computer wallpaper.
  
  Along with taking photos of a lunar eclipse, eclipse viewers were able to take advantage of social media with the JPL's Twitter page. The JPL invited those who planned to watch to update their observations in 140-character tweets.

Astronomy