NEWS RELEASE

What's more fun than a full moon hike? A hike to see the full moon in total eclipse! Join Sonoma County Regional Parks' staff and SRJC Planetarium Director Ed Megill at Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma on Wednesday, February 20 for a short hike to view the lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire moon is completely in the shadow of the Earth. The results are quite striking due to the moon's vibrant red color during the total phase, which will occur between 7:01pm - 7:51pm that night. The next full lunar eclipse viewable from North America won't occur until Dec 21, 2010.

Participants will meet at the Oxford Court entrance to the park at 6:30pm.  Public parking will be allowed only along the park boundry on Oxford Court. The group will hike a short distance on a steep, paved road to the lookout trail. A short, level dirt trail leads to a lookout point with a perfect view of the moon during the eclipse. Hikers will return to their cars by 8:30pm. Participants should bring binoculars and/or cameras, drinking water, a snack or picnic dinner, and a blanket or chair to sit on.

Reservations for this outing are strongly encouraged. Call the Regional Parks Event Hotline at (707) 565-2730 to RSVP. Inclement weather will cancel this outing. Call the event hotline after 3pm on Feb 20th to see if this outing has been cancelled. For more information on Sonoma County Regional Parks, visit www.sonoma-county.org/parks or call (707) 565-2041.