APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
A Time-Lapse Lunar Eclipse
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 picture the Earth's rotation, multiple exposures, and digital enhancements are used to create a time-lapse effect that dramatizes how the Moon looked as it faded out and re-appeared during the three hour lunar eclipse . As the Earth's shadow engulfed the Moon , the lunar images 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 . The next total lunar eclipse won't be visible from Earth until 2007 .
| Date | November 3, 2004 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit & Copyright: Forrest J. Egan ( Digital Astro ) |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |



