URBANA — The University of Illinois Observatory was buzzing with activity from Thursday night into the early hours of Friday morning, as crowds gathered to observe a total lunar eclipse.
Around 100 people turned up to enjoy a clear view of the lunar eclipse, which reached totality minutes before 2 a.m., as the moon passed through Earth’s shadow.
During totality, the moon appears reddish in color, giving it the nickname “blood moon.”
Although lunar eclipses are more common than solar eclipses, they are significant enough to draw a crowd. And with spring break on the horizon for U of I students, a larger-than-usual crowd turned up for the lunar eclipse event in Urbana hosted by the University of Illinois Astronomical Society.
Robert Barthell, a sophomore in aerospace engineering, set up a camera on the grass outside the observatory to capture highly detailed images of the moon before the eclipse began. At least, he was trying to, but clouds kept obstructing the view.
“We have very intermittent gaps in the clouds,” Barthell said. “I have been able to get a small amount of photos and videos…” He excused himself as a clear shot of the moon arrived. Seconds later, the moon ducked behind clouds once again. “It’s gone. Nevermind.”
The clouds eventually subsided, leaving a clear view of the moon as the eclipse began. Observers cheered as the eclipse reached totality.
Poor weather at the U of I Astronomical Society’s last open house in February prevented attendees from seeing the alignment of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus. This sort of thing happens from time to time, said Hasan Al Saeedi, the astronomical society’s treasurer. He calls it the “Open House curse.”
“You can have a whole week of awesome weather, and it’s Open House night, and then the clouds just come in and say ‘screw you,’” Al Saeedi said. “Which stops people from looking at really amazing celestial objects.”
The size of the crowd surprised Varun Satish, president of the astronomical society.
“I think in my three years of being on campus, this is the most people I’ve seen in and around this building,” he said.
The next lunar eclipse visible in the continental U.S. will be March 2, 2026.