Free Republic

On a clear night in 1994, an earthquake rumbled beneath Los Angeles and caused a city-wide power outage just before dawn. Startled awake, some residents who had stumbled outside called various emergency centers and a local observatory to report a mysterious cloud overhead. That weird object turned out to be the band of the Milky Way, our home galaxy, which had long been obscured from view by the city’s lights. Arguably, the light bulb is the most transformative invention humans have introduced to this planet. By flicking a switch or pushing a button, we can push back the veil that...

Angelenos will get their chance Friday to witness a rare celestial event when the shadows of three of Jupiter’s largest moons will fall upon Jupiter at the same time. Griffith Observatory will stay open one hour later than normal to allow visitors who are already at the park to watch the triple-shadow transit as Jupiter’s three moons – Io, Europa, and Callisto – will cross the planet’s disk throughout the evening. Three moon shadows will not appear simultaneously on Jupiter again, from Los Angeles, until 2032, according to the Observatory. As if the triple shadow transit weren’t enough, there will...

Angelenos who want to see the moon turn to “blood” Monday night may want to head for the hills. KNX 1070′s Jon Baird reports the Griffith Observatory has announced it will keep its doors open late for a total lunar eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes into the shadow cast by the Earth. The sight of the round disk of the full moon slowly moving into our planet’s shadow will be visible to the unaided eye throughout the Southland around 11 p.m., though telescopes or binoculars may enhance the view, according to observatory officials. As the moon grows dimmer,...