Lunar Eclipse: February 20,2008 8:30 PM - 12:30 AM


10:31 PM

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon; we see the Earth's shadow projected onto the lunar surface. We don't see lunar eclipses with every cycle of the Moon because the Moon's orbital plane does not exactly coincide with the Ecliptic plane (the orbital plane of the Earth around the Sun).

11:01 PM

You can credit Earth's atmosphere with providing an orangish color to the moon during an eclipse. The atmosphere acts like a filtered lens. It bends red sunlight into our planet's shadow and scatters out blue light. It's the same reason why sunrises and sunsets appear reddish. If Earth were an airless planet, its shadow would be pitch black and the eclipsed moon would be invisible.