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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 total lunar eclipse with lightning in the foreground as seen from Greece. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

Lightning Eclipse from the Planet of the Goats

Explanation: Thunderstorms almost spoiled this view of the spectacular 2011 June 15 total lunar eclipse . Instead, storm clouds parted for 10 minutes during the total eclipse phase and lightning bolts contributed to the dramatic sky. Captured with a 30-second exposure the scene also inspired one of the more memorable titles (thanks to the astrophotographer) in APOD's now 25-year history . Of course, the lightning reference clearly makes sense, and the shadow play of the dark lunar eclipse was widely viewed across planet Earth in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The picture itself , however, was shot from the Greek island of Ikaria at Pezi . That area is known as “the planet of the goats ” because of the rough terrain and strange looking rocks. The next total lunar eclipse will occur on Wednesday .

Details: Total Lunar Eclipse on 2021 May 26

Date May 24, 2021
Credit Image Credit & Copyright: Chris Kotsiopoulos ( GreekSky )
Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.