Total Lunar Eclipse: Don't Miss the only Eclipse This Year Visible from North America!

This year will display a total of four eclipses for the earth to see: two solar and two lunar.
Don't miss the only eclipse of 2008 visible from North America: the total lunar eclipse of
February 20!  This will be the last total lunar eclipse visible from the Americas until Dec 21,
2010.

The entire eclipse will be visible from Florida. The portion of the eclipse noticeable to the
naked eye will begin at 8:43 PM EST on 2/20/08 and will continue until just past midnight into
2/21/08.  Prominently placed high in the eastern sky in the constellation Leo, the moon will be
closely flanked by a colorful legion of guards: reddish Regulus, Leo's brightest star, to the
northwest, and the planet Saturn, glowing golden to the northeast. Santa Fe Community College,
with the Alachua Astronomy Club as special guests, will provide extensive opportunities for the
public to enjoy this special event to the fullest.

First, beginning at 6:30 PM, the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe Community College will
be presenting four special Free 20-min presentations of its Total Lunar Eclipse Planetarium
Show, "Moon Shadows."  "Moon Shadows" will briefly explain the mechanics of Lunar and Solar
Eclipses, and give you a computer-animated view of the Eclipse from both the earth and from the
moon, to give you a better appreciation of the beauty of a Total Lunar Eclipse.  Planetarium
Show Times are 6:30 PM; 7:00 PM; 7:30 PM; and 8:00 PM. Seating is limited to 64 per Show. Follow
the signs on SFCC's North Drive to the planetarium, behind the Natural Sciences Building.

Beginning at 8 PM, in the Astronomy Laboratory (X-213), video projection of simulations of the
eclipse created by Hoffman and Castillo will be running continuously prior to the live webcast
provided by NASA (beginning at 8:43 PM.)  Telescopic observations of the eclipse will begin at
8:30 PM and will continue until 12:15 AM.  Dr. Sally Hoffman, Professor of Astronomy at Santa Fe
Community College, will host these observations and be available to answer questions.
Telescopes will be set up on the sidewalk on the north side of Building X, the Natural Sciences
Building, which is next to the SFCC Police Station. If the sky is completely cloudy so that you
cannot see the moon, these video events will still go on so that you can view it from a site
with clear skies.    Both outdoors and in the laboratory, there will be Space Music for Eclipse
Observations, mixed by and provided exclusively for this event by DJ David Castillo.

For lunar eclipses, there are NO viewing precautions as there are for solar eclipses.  The
eclipse can be viewed directly with the naked eye, with binoculars, or through a telescope, and
may be safely photographed with any kind of camera.

SFCC students and employees and the general public are invited.  Still cameras, video cameras,
and cell-phone cameras are welcome; but remember that photography in the Kika Silva Pla
Planetarium is not possible.  Free images of the moon will be distributed to the first 100
people by Dr. Hoffman.

Kika Silva Pla Planetarium Contact Person
Laurent A. Pellerin, Jr.
Planetarium Coordinator
Kika Silva Pla Planetarium
Santa Fe Community College
3000 NW 83rd Street, Office: X-132
Gainesville, Florida 32606-6210
352.395.5381 (Office)
352.213.0950 (Cell)
laurent.pellerin@sfcc.edu

Telescope Observation and Astronomy Laboratory Contact Person
Dr. Sally Hoffman
Natural Sciences Department
Santa Fe Community College
352-395-5354
sally.hoffman@sfcc.edu