A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon blocking the sun's rays and casting a shadow on the full moon, though some indirect sunlight still pierces through to give the moon an eerie reddish hue. This year the total lunar eclipse coincided with the winter solstice, so the the moon glowed bright red high in the sky. It was gorgeous! I had a hard time going back to sleep so I watched it for about an hour beginning when about 25% was covered and through the totality phase when the moon was completely immersed in Earth's shadow.
The last time this occurred was more than three centuries ago on Dec. 21, 1638 when Galileo was proclaiming that the sun was the center of our solar system. It will happen again on Dec. 21, 2094 according to the experts. I am so amazed that we were able to witness this and happy I woke up to my alarm!
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