A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to darken and sometimes take on a reddish color. This alignment happens only during a full moon when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are closely aligned, with the Earth positioned between the Sun and the Moon.
Types of Lunar Eclipses
- Total lunar eclipse: The entire Moon passes into Earth's umbra (the darkest part of the shadow), often turning the Moon a deep red or copper color due to light refracting through Earth's atmosphere.
- Partial lunar eclipse: Only part of the Moon passes through the umbra, with the rest in the penumbra, leading to a partial darkening.
- Penumbral lunar eclipse: The Moon passes only through the Earth's penumbra (the fainter outer shadow), causing subtle shading that can be hard to notice.
Viewing and Duration
- Lunar eclipses can be viewed anywhere on Earth's night side and are safe to watch without protection.
- A total lunar eclipse can last up to nearly two hours, much longer than a solar eclipse at any given location.
- The reddish color during totality is often called a "Blood Moon," caused by Rayleigh scattering of sunlight through Earth's atmosphere.
Eclipse Phases
The main phases include the penumbral eclipse beginning, partial eclipse beginning, total eclipse beginning, maximum eclipse, total eclipse ending, partial eclipse ending, and penumbral eclipse ending.
Upcoming Lunar Eclipses
- A total lunar eclipse occurred on September 7, 2025, visible across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
- The next total lunar eclipse will be on March 3, 2026, visible in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia, and the Pacific.
This overview encapsulates the nature, types, viewing details, and timing of lunar eclipses.
