Ever wondered what's happening when the moon mysteriously turns reddish-orange? That's likely a lunar eclipse! It's a celestial ballet where the Earth positions itself perfectly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow onto the lunar surface.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye. As the moon enters the Earth's umbra (the darkest part of the shadow), it gradually dims. However, it doesn't completely disappear. Instead, it often takes on a reddish hue, earning it the nickname "blood moon."
This reddish color comes from sunlight being refracted (bent) through Earth's atmosphere. Longer wavelengths, like red and orange, are scattered less than shorter wavelengths, allowing them to reach the moon's surface. The intensity of the red depends on the amount of dust and clouds in Earth's atmosphere. A cleaner atmosphere means a brighter, more vibrant eclipse!
So next time you witness a lunar eclipse, remember you're watching a beautiful demonstration of our solar system's mechanics and the scattering properties of our own atmosphere.
