‘Howling at the Moon’ planetarium show held in Cooper Hall

Dr. David Hurd was howling with excitement as he presented his planetarium show “Howling at the Moon” on Wednesday, Jan. 16. The show educated viewers on the upcoming lunar eclipse, as well as other aspects of the moon. 

The lights were dimmed down and attendees of the show directed their gaze to the ceiling of the planetarium. Hurd proceeded to teach the audience about where the moon was in relation to other common constellations. 

The lights turned on shortly after so audience members could actively participate in drawing the shadow that Earth casts. Hurd demonstrated that the size of Earth’s shadow, or the umbra, affects what a lunar eclipse will look like.

When a lunar eclipse occurs, the moon passes through Earth’s shadow, causing it to have a darker red or orange color; this is why it is referred to as a “blood moon.” As a result, Hurd was most excited “to be able to see it, because most likely it will be cloudy.” As the weather for some of these eclipses is often cloudy, Hurd then went on to state that even if you only catch a glimpse, the reward is worth it.

When asked about the significance of Edinboro University holding programs such as “Howling at the Moon,” Hurd stated: “I think with our modern technology we’ve become very inward focused, and the planetarium forces us to become outward focus. [It’s designed] to start to observe nature and the heavens, things that we used to esteem as very important. It gives us a moment to stand back and reflect [on] our universe around us.”

The Edinboro University Planetarium has several events coming up in the next few weeks, including “What’s up Wednesday,” “World at Night” and “Legends of the Night Sky.” For a complete list of upcoming shows, visit edinboro.edu and search “Planetarium.”

Sydney Dundon | edinboro.spectator@gmail.com

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