It was a brief eclipse, but the “blood moon” that hung over stargazers over the weekend was certainly a spectacular one.
The moon turned a deep red color as the celestial body became shrouded in the Earth’s shadow, creating quite a show for people on Earth, particularly those in the Pacific region, according to a Christian Science Monitor report.
Although blood red is the color it is known for, the moon actually changes into a variety of shades, including rusty orange, pale yellow, white, and a sort of bluish color, which only added to the show for observers.
It was the first lunar eclipse of 2015 and was the third in a series of four total eclipses known as a tetrad, with the fourth in the series expected to occur in September.
Those who lived in North and South America, Australia, Oceania, and East Asia had the best view of the blood moon. The Slooh community observatory streamed the show online, and it featured views from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and feeds from Canada and Australia. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center used the Griffith Observatory feed as well, and NASA lunar experts weighed int o educate the public.
Those who were on the East Coast of the United States and Canada were able to see the eclipse for a brief period before the moon slipped out of view. Other regions were able to see just a partial eclipse.
Viewers on the West Coast were treated to a much longer eclipse.
Total lunar eclipses happen when the Earth casts a complete shadow over the moon called the umbra. It takes on a red hue because light from the sun is filtered by the Earth’s atmosphere.
