MOON ECLIPSE
When the Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth, a lunar eclipse happens. Only on the night of a full moon when the Moon is close to either lunar node can the Sun, Earth, and Moon be precisely or extremely closely aligned (in syzygy), with Earth between the other two.
The Moon's proximity to the lunar node determines the type and duration of a lunar eclipse. Because Earth entirely blocks direct sunlight from reaching the Moon, only light reflected from the lunar surface has been refracted by Earth's atmosphere, giving the totally eclipsed Moon its crimson hue. The same phenomenon that causes a sunset or sunrise to seem reddish also causes this light: the Rayleigh scattering of blue light.
Lunar eclipse |
A lunar eclipse can be seen from anyplace on the night side of Earth, unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be seen from a limited portion of the globe. Because the Moon's shadow is smaller than that of the Sun, a total lunar eclipse can last up to almost two hours while a total solar eclipse only lasts a few minutes at any one location. As they are fainter than a typical full Moon, lunar eclipses are also safe to see without the need for eye protection or other specific measures, unlike solar eclipses.
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