Astronomy buffs will be over the moon about a nature program offered by Hannibal Parks & Recreation at 6 p.m. Nov. 20.
“The Moon is Always Super” will be offered by Dr. Robert Sadler, professor of Physical Sciences at Culver-Stockton College. He will present a short talk at the Admiral Coontz Recreation Center, then participants will go to Lover’s Leap to view the moon with binoculars.
Moon phases, eclipses, tides, blue moon, super moons, and the observable features on the moon’s surface will be discussed. The moon is also the subject of a lot of lore and Dr. Sadler will comment on some of this lore as well as the names of the full moons for each month.
As our moon orbits around Earth, the side facing the Sun is always illuminated, just like Earth’s daylight side is illuminated by the Sun. Our moon’s shape doesn’t really change — it only appears that way. The “amount” of moon that we see as we look from Earth changes in a cycle that repeats about once a month. The Nov. 20 nature program will be presented during a full moon phase.
Nature programs are free and more information is available online at www.hannibalparks.org or by calling 573-221-0154 or emailing mlrichards@hannibal-mo.gov