As you can see from this stunningly detailed image Australia experienced a Lunar Eclipse this evening. Apparently (... I'm putting on my Scientists Lab coat...) an eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun's light. It's rare because the moon is usually either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit. The total eclipse phase, in which the moon has an orange or reddish glow, lasts about 1 1/2 hours. During the full eclipse, the moon won't be completely dark because some light still reaches it around the edges of the Earth. The light is refracted as it passes through our atmosphere, scattering blue light which is why the sky is blue but sending reddish light onto the moon. ... the redness is not captured here because we had to use night vision on the camera which drains the colour away!
We went out to take a look and overheard neighbours (imagine the Aussie accents) "Thats not the moon its Mars!" ... you gotta laugh!
The next total lunar eclipse occurs Feb. 21, 2008, and will be visible from the Americas, Europe and Asia. ... you heard it here first!
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