The next total lunar eclipse visible from Harvard will not occur until January 20, 2000, although there will be a very deep partial lunar eclipse on March 23, 1997.
Alan McRobert, an associate editor for Sky and Telescope magazine, said that while the moon will become invisible, the planet Saturn will take the main stage.
"A very interesting aspect of this eclipse is that the planet Saturn will be very close to the moon," said McRobert. "You will see it as the bright yellow-white star-like object about one thumb's width below the moon during the eclipse."
Although there were no special plans to view the eclipse from the Harvard Observatory, students in Quincy House were invited to the roof of the Master's Residence to view the lunar eclipse.
North said the eclipse theme, although originally unintended, was a welcome addition to last night's Quincy open house.
"All our open houses this year will have themes, but the eclipse [theme] was not planned," she said. "It just conveniently happened tonight so we decided to advertise the party as a 'dessert and eclipse extravaganza.'"
--Molly Hennessy-Fiske contributed to the reporting of this story.