A Lunar Eclipse Over Time

Explanation: During last week's lunar eclipse , our Moon appeared to disappear. As the Earth moved between the Moon and the Sun, the Earth's shadow fell on the moon, making it quite dark . In the above photograph, the Earth's rotation caused the Moon and stars to appear as streaks during this four-hour exposure. In the foreground is the abbey of the Benedictive monastery of Sant Llorenc del Munt , a structure in Girona, Spain that has stood since the eleventh century. As the Earth's shadow engulfed the Moon , the Moon streak became less and less bright, practically disappearing during totality . At this time, the Moon, which normally shines by reflecting direct sunlight, shone only by sunlight refracted through the Earth's atmosphere . Later, clouds obscured the re-appearing Moon.