Eclipse and Ecliptic

Explanation: When a Full Moon lies near the ecliptic there can be a lunar eclipse . That cosmic alignment is well illustrated in this composite of eclipse images recorded last Saturday near Paris, France. The projection of the ecliptic plane , the plane of planet Earth's orbit around the Sun, is traced by the long blue line running diagonally through the picture. At a small angle to the ecliptic, along the Moon's orbit, are a series of images from the eclipse itself following the Moon as it moves (down and left) through Earth's shadow . A small blue circle centered on the ecliptic outlines the extent of the dark region of the shadow or umbra . Above, the principal stars of Leo are highlighted, while at the far right lies another celestial wanderer that stays close to the ecliptic - Saturn .