Lunar Eclipse and earth's shadow

In summary, the conversation is about a lunar eclipse that the speaker witnessed while camping. They describe how the moon appeared to travel through the Earth's shadow and ask if this is normal. Another person shares a link with a visual explanation of the eclipse and the conversation turns to discussing the relationship between lunar and solar eclipses.
  • #1
rjstegbauer
Hi,

I was fortunate to be camping on November 8 and near a nice warm fire throughout the entire lunar eclipse. It was awesome!

I have a question about the the apparent direction the moon appeared to travel through the Earth's shadow. This is kinda hard to put into words, so please bear with me.

Imagine a clock face on the Moon. When the eclipse began the Moon began getting dark centered at about the 4 or 5 o'clock position of the Moon. As the eclipse progressed to totality this seemed to remain fairly constant. In fact at totality, I noticed that there continued to be a small bright sliver centered the 5 o'clock position.

All of this seemed perfectly logical to me. The unusual things happened when the Moon began to leave the Earth's shadow.

The Moon began to brighten at about the 5 o'clock position. However as more of the Moon left the shadow it appeared to me that this point moved clockwise around the Moon until the last bit of shadow exited the Moon at about 2 o'clock.

No picture that I draw seems to show this and unfortunately, I also cannot find a sequence of pictures of the eclipse either.

Am I smokin weed?
 
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  • #2
Originally posted by rjstegbauer
Am I smokin weed?

What were you burning in your campfire? :wink:

Try this link for a visual of the sequence...it should explain everything.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031107.html

Welcome to Physics Forums!
 
  • #3
The moon on the night of the lunar eclipse did not pass directly through the umbra, or it would have reached complete totality whearas is didnt which kinda sucked.

Although it passes as close to totality as possible taking in account the last couple eclipses where the moon was still half white and the next couple eclipses where the moon will be half white.
 
  • #4
The Eclipsed Moon and Cones

I witnessed an awesome (total) lunar eclipse on 16 July 2000 (at exactly Midnight!) in Canberra, Australia. At totality the moon was blood-red. See below link:

http://canberrasky.tripod.com/eclipses/160700.html [Broken]

PS. I was smoking and having a few drinks when I watched it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #5
Do lunar eclipses and solar eclipses go hand and hand? Because the moons already lined up so it should go from having a lunar eclipse, then like half a month later a solar eclipse. Does this happen often?
 
  • #6
Originally posted by revesz
Do lunar eclipses and solar eclipses go hand and hand? Because the moons already lined up so it should go from having a lunar eclipse, then like half a month later a solar eclipse. Does this happen often?
Yes, they do go hand in hand. The details matter, of course. Not all solar eclipses are total (some are annular); sometimes the Moon' shadow only just hits the Earth (like this time, the solar eclipse was in Antartica), and sometimes it misses altogether; and so on. It depends on the exact geometry of the Earth and Moon (and Sun!) at the time.
 

What is a lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon. This can only happen during a full moon when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned in a straight line.

How often do lunar eclipses occur?

Lunar eclipses occur about twice a year, but a total lunar eclipse (when the Moon is completely covered by Earth's shadow) is less common, happening only about every two to three years.

Why does the Moon appear red during a lunar eclipse?

During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon may appear to turn a reddish color. This is because some of the Sun's light is refracted (bent) by Earth's atmosphere and reaches the Moon, giving it a reddish hue.

What is the difference between a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through Earth's shadow, whereas a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon blocks the Sun's light from reaching Earth. Lunar eclipses are visible from anywhere on Earth where the Moon is above the horizon, while solar eclipses are only visible from a specific path on Earth's surface.

Can a lunar eclipse be harmful to humans?

No, a lunar eclipse is not harmful to humans. Unlike a solar eclipse, there is no need for special eye protection to view a lunar eclipse. It is safe to view a lunar eclipse with the naked eye.

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