Westmont Observatory Hosts Public Viewing of Total Lunar Eclipse

The 'blood moon' lunar eclipse was visible in Santa Barbara early Tuesday morning.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Westmont College's Observatory opened its doors to the public in the early hours of Tuesday morning, allowing people to witness the total lunar eclipse. More than 50 people gathered at the observatory to view the moon as it passed through the Earth's shadow, taking on a reddish 'blood moon' appearance.

Why it matters

Lunar eclipses are relatively rare events, with the next one visible from Santa Barbara not occurring until 2029. The observatory's public viewing allowed local residents to experience this astronomical phenomenon up close.

The details

During the eclipse, the moon appeared dimmed and took on a reddish hue as it passed through the Earth's shadow. Westmont physics professor and observatory director Dr. Jennifer Gee explained that this is caused by the way sunlight is refracted through the Earth's atmosphere, allowing only the lower-frequency red light waves to reach the moon.

  • The observatory was open to the public from 3 to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.
  • The eclipse reached totality around 4:30 a.m., when the moon was fully within the Earth's shadow.
  • The eclipse ended around 6:20 a.m. as the moon moved out of the Earth's shadow.

The players

Dr. Jennifer Gee

A physics professor at Westmont College and the director of the college's observatory.

Ken Kihlstrom

An emeritus professor of physics at Westmont College who answered questions from the public at the observatory.

Westmont College Observatory

The observatory on Westmont's campus, which houses an 8-inch refractor telescope and a 24-inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope used for research and public viewing.

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What they’re saying

“A lunar eclipse is when the moon passes through earth's shadow. So, the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the earth.”

— Dr. Jennifer Gee, Physics professor and observatory director (independent.com)

“The refractor telescope is often used to get a sharp image of things in the night sky — think the moon or Saturn's rings.”

— Ken Kihlstrom, Emeritus professor of physics (independent.com)

What’s next

Westmont's Observatory is open to the public every third Friday of the month, and the college is working to build a program studying variable stars.

The takeaway

Westmont's public viewing of the total lunar eclipse allowed local residents to experience this rare astronomical event up close, highlighting the college's commitment to science education and outreach in the Santa Barbara community.