January 13, 2000
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Evelyne Girardet
(312) 573-4646

Sidewalk Astronomy Offers View of Lunar Eclipse

CHICAGO - Weather permitting, skygazers and amateur astronomers are invited to catch a glimpse of the total lunar eclipse outside The Latin School of Chicago on Thursday, January 20.

Teacher Dennis Erickson and members of Latin's Sidewalk Astronomy club will set up the School's computerized Meade telescope and some smaller devices on the northeast corner of Clark Street and North Avenue from 8 p.m. - 12 a.m. to offer passersby a free view of the moon as well as Jupiter and Saturn. The eclipse will begin eating away at the moon around 9 p.m., with the total eclipse scheduled for around 10:30 p.m. Because of less interference from the moonlight, observers should also be treated to a clearer view of the planets and the stars.

Since 1998, Latin's Sidewalk Astronomy project has been attracting a crowd of people most Friday and Saturday nights during the warmer months to glance through the School's telescopes. The project's goal is to make the universe more accessible to the public. But it has also helped with Erickson's mission to raise awareness about how light pollution from streetlamps is interfering with urban astronomy endeavors around the world.

The Sidewalk Astronomy club has already succeeded in convincing the City of Chicago to put shades over six of the lamps in the North and Clark area.
In addition, a $10,000 Toyota Tapestry grant has allowed the group to establish a local chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association and purchase additional astronomy equipment.

Funded by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc. and administered by the National Science Teachers Association, the Toyota Tapestry initiative is the largest K-12 science teacher grant program in the nation. It has awarded nearly $3.5 million to 343 teams of teachers over the last nine years.

For more information on the event, or Latin's other astronomy programs, please contact Dennis Erickson, (312) 573-4567.