Lunar eclipse 2010: Moon goes dark red for rare total eclipse
The Man in the Moon got red-faced as the Earth blocked the sun from its view on Tuesday in a rare lunar eclipse.
Most people on the east coast were asleep for the incredible celestial event, but the moon was tued blood red for more than an hour from around 2:40 a.m. to 3:50, according to NASA.
This was the first time a total lunar eclipse occurred on the winter solstice since 1638. As a result, the moon appeared \"very high in the night sky, as the solstice marks the time when Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun,\" NASA said.
It won't fall on this day again until 2094, according to U.S. Naval Observatory spokesman Geoff Chester.
Only those in North American, Greenland and Iceland were able to take in the entire event. Stargazers in Europe and Asia were only treated to a partial eclipse.
Despite having the sunlight blocked by the Earth, the moon did not go completely black, but instead tued red.
According to NASA, this is \"because indirect sunlight is still able to pass through Earth's atmosphere and cast a glow on the moon. Our atmosphere filters out most of the blue colored light, leaving the red and orange hues that we see during a lunar eclipse.\"
Lunar eclipses are safe to watch with the naked eye, unlike solar eclipses.
The next total lunar eclipse will occur in June 2011, but will not be visible from North America.
![\"The](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8D2F3C000005DC-432_306x371.jpg\")
![\"The](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8D4D28000005DC-198_306x371.jpg\")
The red moon is viewed with a telescope from Palm Beach Gardens, US, left, while the moon begins to be covered by the Earth's shadow in Edinburgh
![\"A](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8D16BB000005DC-479_306x423.jpg\")
![\"A](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8D1394000005DC-243_306x423.jpg\")
A picture taken in New York, left, shows the moon as the total eclipse nears its peak while in Silver Spring, Maryland, right, the moon tus a deep red
![\"The](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8D5A2E000005DC-626_634x404.jpg\")
The blood-red moon and the monument of The Savior of The World during a total lunar eclipse as seen from San Salvador last night
![\"The](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8D08C9000005DC-345_634x349.jpg\")
The lunar eclipse is visible in Scottish Borders as the moon starts to move into the Earth's shadow
![\"The](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8D369F000005DC-801_634x245.jpg\")
The moon in various stages of a total lunar eclipse this moing as seen from Mexico City
![\"Shrouded](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8CFB00000005DC-126_634x391.jpg\")
Shrouded in darkness: Part of the moon is in darkness as the earth's shadow moves across it during today's lunar eclipse in this image taken from Dallas
![\"Pacman-like:](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8CFD0D000005DC-388_634x319.jpg\")
Pacman-like: A wedge of the moon is obscured by shadow in this image taken from Great Falls, Virginia
![\"lunar](\"http://www.georgianewsday.com/2011/article-1340144-0C8CFD46000005DC-519_634x299.jpg\")
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