Looking for more ways to spice up your homeschooling? There’s a great opportunity for almost everyone in North and South America this month - an event that provides a creative way to integrate science, history, and a fascinating true story (plus one made-up story, too, if you like). And, it won’t even cost you a dime!

According to Space.com, there will be a total lunar eclipse coming up on February 20, 2008. This eclipse will be visible from most of the continents of North and South America. The entire process will take place over a period of three hours, with the phase when the eclipse is total occurring between about 10:00 and 11:00 pm EST.

Have you told your children how a lunar eclipse bailed Christopher Columbus out of a deadly situation? A total lunar eclipse is the perfect opportunity to introduce that interesting story from American history. Whether you think Columbus was a hero, or a villain, or something in between, the tale is quite fascinating. It was apparently adapted by Mark Twain when he wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, providing a link into literature, as well as science and history! (Here’s a free scanned version of the book from Google Books, or you can check it out at your library or on Amazon.)

You may as well mark your calendar now, and plan to have fun staying up late. Make some tea or hot cocoa, bundle up, and be sure to take some photos of your own! You might even want to suggest that your children time the phases of the eclipse, and chart it for their science notebooks.

This eclipse will feature close proximity to the planet Saturn and the gorgeous blue star Regulus, creating a not to be missed opportunity to marvel at the wonders of our universe!

If the weather is clear, we plan to check this out with our family - Let me know if you give it a try, and tell me how it goes!

Note that Space.com will be publishing a viewing guide on Feb 15th, so check back with their site for more details.

Lunar Eclipse Photo credit: John Walker

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