DeKALB — A lunar eclipse viewing that was planned to take place from 3:30 a.m to 5:30 a.m Tuesday at the NIU Observatory was canceled due to weather conditions.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow onto the moon. Tuesday’s lunar eclipse is known as a full lunar eclipse, turning the moon into a “blood moon.”
At 2:54 a.m on Tuesday, the observatory released a statement on their Facebook notifying students that the eclipse viewing was canceled.
“The clouds are thick enough that we can’t even see where the moon would be behind them,” the statement reads. “Unfortunately, the NIU Observatory will not be open for the eclipse. Hopefully, those of you in other locations are enjoying clearer skies than we have here.”
Approximately 12 students had already arrived at the observatory for the viewing, some as early as 2:30 a.m.
Sebastian Cabezas, a first-year mechanical engineering major, and Valerya Aragon, a first-year elementary education major, attended the lunar eclipse for some timely and affordable fun on campus.
“We’ve been together for three years and said, you know, we haven’t really hung out too often, because of schoolwork and stuff,” Cabezas said.
Cabezas said that the early-morning event would have given them a chance to spend time together before it was cancelled.
“We’ve both been so busy, so since it’s so early in the day, there’s really no excuse.”
Aragon said events like the observatory viewing give students a chance to socialize without spending money.
“Not many people have money, especially to go out on dates, hang out with friends,” Aragon said. “I like the fact that it’s free of charge and it’s free for all students. So I definitely enjoy the fact that even if you don’t have the money to go out, at least you can do something fun around campus.”
At 4:42 p.m on Tuesday, the observatory released a second statement on their Facebook page regarding its viewing hours for spring.
“We were only able to catch a few brief glimpses of the eclipse last night, but nothing once it was total. The clouds were just too thick. It looks like it will remain cloudy for tomorrow night’s public hours as well, but we’ll still be there from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. if anyone would like a tour and a close-up view of the fast food signs on Lincoln Highway,” the post said. “This will also be the last week of our winter hours. After the time change next weekend, we’ll switch to our spring hours, which will be Wednesdays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.”
Visiting the NIU Observatory is free for students. Updates and upcoming events can be found on the observatory Facebook page.
