Early Bird Events Mark 2014

StarWatch 908 for the week of Jan. 12, 2013

By Gary Becker

Two thousand fourteen is not a bad year for astronomical events if you don’t mind getting up early in the morning.  

There are two total lunar eclipses, the first occurring on April 15 and the second happening on October 8. However, the most intriguing celestial event is an occultation of the bright alpha star of Leo the Lion, Regulus, by the 45-mile in diameter asteroid, 163 Erigone, on March 20.  

It’s almost local.  

The shadow of Erigone sweeps across most of Long Island, northern Manhattan, SW Connecticut, and SE New York State.  It all goes down at 2:06 a.m., EDT with the entire episode lasting a mere 14 seconds if you are in the center of Erigone’s path.  

I know what you’re thinking.  “Who would ever travel 100 miles or 1000 miles to see something like that?”  

My guess is that thousands of people will make the journey, and perhaps as many as 100,000 people in the shadow path will get up or stay up to witness the 21st brightest star of the night, Regulus, abruptly disappear.  

Then not quite a month later on April 15, and about the same time, 1:58 a.m., EDT, the moon is eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow (umbra).  Totality, when the moon is completely inside the umbra, occurs at 3:06 a.m. and lasts until 4:28 a.m.  It is at this time when the moon can take on a variety of different hues from browns, reds, oranges, and even yellows.  The moon slips away from the Earth’s shadow by 5:35 a.m., well into dawn’s light.  

The final big event of 2014 transpires during the morning of October 8, when the moon again meets up with Earth’s shadow.  This lunar eclipse is best positioned for the West Coast and Hawaii, but the eastern half of the nation still has a decent view.  

The moon first enters Earth’s shadow at 5:18 a.m., EDT (2:18 a.m., PDT).  Totality commences at 6:30 a.m., EDT, when the moon is only six degrees above the western horizon and 21 minutes before it is exactly full.  

The sun rises at 7:05 a.m., just as the moon is setting.  Clear skies and Happy 2014 to everyone!