Evening shade

Lolita Harper

A chill descended Monday evening as the moon moved to block the sun

over Newport-Mesa.

The moon fell short of its goal and left a sliver of the sun’s light

and warmth to reach Earth, resulting in what astronomers call a partial

solar eclipse.

Orange Coast College astronomy students, participating in their first

night of an intense summer school course, were treated to a rare hands-on

laboratory project as they watched the sky darken and felt the air grow

colder as the moon concealed the sun.

“Not bad for the first night of class,” astronomy professor Nick

Contopoulos said.

Classmates paired up and set up various viewing stations on the campus

planetarium’s lawn. Equipped with finder scopes -- small viewing devices

that resemble flashlights -- pens, paper and a clipboard, students

charted the movement of the moon until it reached about three-quarters

coverage.

Students Kevin Kowalski and Marysia Terelak sketched the outline of

the eclipse through the telescope each minute, recording a visual

play-by-play of the event.

Cynthia Gonzalez, 21, said she hadn’t paid attention to an eclipse

since elementary school, when her class constructed makeshift viewing

devices out of shoe boxes.

“But this,” she said pointing to the 8-inch Meade telescope in front

of her, “is way more interesting.”

Zoran Korac said he considered himself fortunate to witness the

celestial wonder equipped with high-tech tools and Contopoulos’ expert

knowledge.

“I really haven’t ever been that involved with astronomy, but I feel

lucky that I have the opportunity to witness this historic event,” said

Korac, who is taking the class as a general education course toward a

business degree.

A solar eclipse takes place when the Earth, sun and a new moon align,

Contopoulos said. There is a new moon every month, but eclipses happen

less often because the spheres are all on different planes, he said.

The moon is a fraction of the size of the sun, but the distance of the

two makes it possible for one to shadow the other, astronomy major Omair

Zubairi said. The moon appears larger because it is 300,000 miles away,

he said. The sun is 93 million miles away.

Even those not gaining course credit gathered around the planetarium

for the eclipse. The Watson family came from Huntington Beach to view the

astronomical event.

Andy Watson, 8, said he was surprised the sun looked red through the

telescope. He said he thought Kowalski and Terelak’s sketches were “even

cooler.”

Oceanography professor Dennis Kelly was also on hand for comedic

relief. He told stories about ancient civilizations that used to

sacrifice their sons to make the moon give the sun back.

“I think we should sacrifice a student just to play it safe,” Kelly

joked.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .