Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Total Lunar Eclipse - a Global Event in the International Year of Light

     As a grand finale for the International Year of Light Weekend of Light, on 27-28 September 2015 there will be a Total Lunar Eclipse that will be seen around the world. In the night from Sunday to Monday, the Moon will again darken and, during totality, be bathed in a coppery-red light. The event will be visible in its entirety to a large part of the world's population, including Western Europe, West Africa, South America and the eastern part of North America. For those regions where the eclipse will not be visible, the German Offenburg University will broadcast it live within the project EclipseLive.
        Astronomical phenomena have fascinated people since the very beginning of mankind. They have an enthusiastic effect, especially on young people. Among the most amazing and well-known phenomena are solar and lunar eclipses. The impact factor of such events is very high, as they are covered by the mass media reports and on the internet, which in turn provides encyclopedic content and discussion in social networks.
        In the broadcasts of 2011, we counted more than 35,000 viewers from 154 countries, which we considered a success. The project, called “EclipseLive” involved more than 50 students of Offenburg University. We contacted researchers from astronomical observatories, some of which got involved and sent us live material from other spots around the world. Afterwards, a digital “Moonbook” was developed by our students, which is available for download on iPad via iBooks or on your computer via iTunes for free.
      The upcoming lunar eclipse should be regarded as an opportunity to attract people around the globe and engage them in an astronomical event. This time around, for a total duration of four hours, we will alternately broadcast live images from the telescope installed on our roof, and short background reports and live interviews.
      You, our viewers, are very welcome to communicate with us and become actively involved in the broadcast. Our hosts will guide through the events of this exciting night and, with the help of our experts, try to answer all of your questions. To contact us, you can use one of the following options:
Twitter: @eclipse_live
Skype: eclipse-live

The EclipseLive2015 team is looking forward to receiving your messages, and to an exciting webcast on September 28 early in the morning!

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