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Lunar Eclipse
What is a lunar eclipse?
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A lunar eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth, causing the Moon to be fully or partially obscured from view. This happens when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned in a straight line, with the Earth in the middle.
During a lunar eclipse, the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, either partially or completely. The Moon does not emit its own light, but instead reflects the sunlight that hits its surface. When the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow, the only light that reaches the Moon is that which is refracted, or bent, through the Earth’s atmosphere. This refracted light gives the Moon a characteristic reddish or coppery color, often referred to as a “blood moon.”
Lunar eclipses can be total, partial, or penumbral, depending on how much of the Moon’s surface passes through the different parts of the Earth’s shadow. Total lunar eclipses occur when the entire Moon passes through the Earth’s umbra, the darkest part of the shadow. Partial lunar eclipses happen when only a portion of the Moon passes through the umbra. Penumbral lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes through the Earth’s penumbra, the lighter, outer part of the shadow, resulting in a more subtle darkening of the Moon’s surface.
Lunar eclipses are generally visible from anywhere on the night side of the Earth where the Moon is above the horizon during the eclipse. They are safe to observe with the naked eye, unlike solar eclipses, which require special protective equipment to view safely.
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