Preview Super Moon Total Eclipse at Museum during First Friday Jan. 4

December 21st, 2018

 (Albuquerque, New Mexico ) -- Another Super Moon Total Eclipse is coming to the skies over New Mexico on the evening of Jan. 20, 2019. That night the moon will be full and relatively close to the Earth, which in recent years has become known as a Super Moon, and it will also be totally eclipsed!  During the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science’s $5 First Friday event January 4 there will be a preview event of this astronomical convergence.     

Each first Friday evening of the month, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is open 5:30 – 9 p.m. with a special admission rate of $5 per person for the museum, which usually includes special displays on a topic in science.  There won’t be any eclipses to see during this First Friday, but visitors will learn all about the astronomical coincidence happening in the sky on the evening of Jan. 20 after sunset.  The motions of the moon and Earth will come together for this unusual lunar event, and all will be explained at table displays and videos so that you can prepare, enjoy, and understand what is happening.  The museum will also have telescopes available to see the eclipse January 20 from 8:30 – 11:30 p.m., weather permitting.

The DynaTheater will be showing the film Volcanoes for an additional $5 at 6:30 p.m.  With intrepid explorer Carsten Peter, dodge boulders at the edge of an active volcano in Indonesia, descend to a lava lake in Vanuatu, and visit the incredible mineral deposit fields in Ethiopia. Travel across the globe to see the archeological ghost town of Pompeii and witness the devastating effects of the recent Kilauea eruption in Hawaii.

The Planetarium will present Fractal Friday at the usual times of 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m. with the normal admission of adults $10, seniors $7, and children (3-12) $5.  Shows typically sell out in advance, so get your tickets early at fractalfoundation.org.

Even though we’ll have to wait a few days for the eclipse, The Museum Observatory will be open to the night sky January 4 from 6 – 8 p.m., weather permitting, to show off interesting objects in the heavens.  The Nature Works store will be selling unique gifts from 5:30 – 8 p.m. on this First Friday. The Hope Café will be open continuously from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. that day, so you can enjoy dinner while waiting for the museum to reopen (only the café entrance will be open from 5 – 5:30 p.m.)

About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science: http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org. Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibitions, programs and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience and Space Science. It is the Southwest’s largest repository for fossils and includes a Planetarium and a large format 3D DynaTheater. A division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Museum is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and new year’s day. 1801 Mountain Road NW, northeast of Historic Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87104, (505) 841-2800.  Events, news releases and images about activities at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and other divisions of the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.