Lunar Eclipse

Penumbral – full but dimmer
Partial- Moon enters umbra
Total- Moon totally in umbra
Next Visible Total Lunar Eclipse
January 31, 2018 – Asia, Australia, Pa. Ocean,
western N. America

Lunar Eclipse 8-28-07

Lunar Eclipse 2-20-08

What accounts for the red color of
the moon?
 Depending on the conditions of our
atmosphere at the time of the
eclipse (dust, humidity, temperature
and so on can all make a difference),
the surviving light will illuminate the
moon with a color that ranges from
copper-colored to deep red

Rayleigh scattering

 Light from the sun first hits the earth. Some
of the light passes through the earth's
atmosphere. Because the atmosphere
scatters blue more than red, all the blue
light is "filtered out" of the sunlight due to
scattering. But red light that don't scatter
remain and reaches the moon after
passing through the earth's atmosphere. It
is this red light that hits the moon and
reflects back to our eyes, and cause the
"Blood moon"

The Nodes of the Moon
Phases of the Moon
We have all observed the various phases of
the Moon as it orbits Earth. As viewed from
the surface of Earth, it takes 29.53059 days
(29d 12h 44m 03s) for the Moon to complete
one orbit of Earth. This orbit of the Moon is
called the Synodic Month and it is the well-
known cycle that governs our Moon Phases

Eclipse of the Moon
 If the Moon orbited Earth in the same plane
as the ecliptic, there would be an Eclipse of
the Moon every month, followed two weeks
later by a Solar Eclipse, but the Moon does
not orbit Earth along the ecliptic plane,
instead it orbits Earth at an inclined angle.

Moon Nodes
 The point at which the Moon intersects the
ecliptic plane is called a node. The Moon
can pass either southwards or northward
through the ecliptic plane; hence, one of its
nodes.
 If the Moon is going from south to north in
its orbit, it is called an ascending node. If
the Moon is going from north to south, it is
called a descending node.

Eclipse Window is within 11.38 degrees
longitude of the ecliptic plane:
 If a Full Moon or New Moon is within 11.38
degrees longitude of the ecliptic plane then
there will be an eclipse
 A Full Moon meeting these specifications
will produce a lunar eclipse, while a New
Moon meeting these requirements will
produce a solar eclipse.