Suggested Searches

1 min read

Total Lunar Eclipse

A time-lapsed photo shows the moon turning red as it passes through Earth's shadow
A total lunar eclipse happens when the whole moon enters Earth's shadow.

A total lunar eclipse happens when the whole moon enters Earth’s shadow. Some sunlight still reaches the moon, but first it goes through Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere filters out most of the sun’s blue light, so the moon looks red.

In this time-lapsed image, the moon changes color as it moves through Earth’s shadow. Image Credit: Fred Espenak