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EPSS Students Watch the Aug. 27 Near-Total Lunar Eclipse Through Newly Donated Telescope

The Moon during the Aug 27 near-total lunar eclipse, glowing deep orange-red with a bright sliver of sunlight at the top
The Moon at the peak of the Aug. 27 near-total lunar eclipse, seen through the department’s 11-inch Celestron telescope. Photo credit: Abe Amiri / UCLA EPSS

EPSS graduate student Abe Amiri and Prof. David Paige set up the department’s 11-inch Celestron telescope on the roof of the Math Sciences building to watch Aug 27’s near-total lunar eclipse. A UCLA alum kindly donated this large telescope, which gave several dozen students gathered on the roof a superb view of the event. The live view of the eclipse showed students the shape and color of the Earth’s shadow as it moved across the Moon, and gave an exceptional view of the Moon’s craters, mountains, and ancient lava flows.

A live view of the eclipse through the telescope. Video credit: Abe Amiri / UCLA EPSS
Close-up telescope view of the eclipsed Moon showing its reddish color, craters, and dark lava plains
Earth’s shadow gave the Moon its deep red color while revealing craters, mountains, and ancient lava flows. Photo credit: Abe Amiri / UCLA EPSS
The Moon mostly covered by Earth’s shadow, with a bright crescent along its upper edge
A partial phase of the eclipse as Earth’s shadow moved across the Moon. Photo credit: Abe Amiri / UCLA EPSS