Total eclipse of the Moon

Capture

Canon EOS 300D 135mm f/11 10 sec ISO200

Date

28 August 2007

Location

Camden, NSW

Original

1872 × 1498 px

Total eclipse of the moon on 28 August 2007. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon turns red because Earth blocks direct sunlight, but not all light is cut off. Sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere gets filtered and refracted into the shadow. Shorter blue wavelengths are scattered away the same effect that makes the sky blue, while longer red wavelengths pass through more easily and are bent toward the Moon. That reddish light illuminates the Moon, giving it the familiar blood moon appearance.

See it in the moon gallery