Moon Eclipse June 15, 2011

About this Image

This eclipse is a relatively rare central lunar eclipse, in which the center point of Earth's shadow passes across the Moon (visible in Europe). The last time a lunar eclipse was closer to the center of the earth's shadow was on July 16, 2000. The next central total lunar eclipse will be on July 27, 2018.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks the sun's direct rays from striking the moon. The earth's atmosphere absorbs the shorter wavelenghts and so the scattered light is illuminating the Moon in a pale copper-red.