Tololo Totality
Explanation:
On March 14 the Moon was Full.
In an appropriate celebration of Pi day, that put the Moon
3.14 radians (180 degrees) in ecliptic longitude
from the Sun in planet Earth's sky.
As a bonus for
fans of Pi
and
the night sky,
on that date the Moon also
passed directly through Earth's umbral shadow in a
total lunar eclipse.
In clear skies, the colors of an eclipsed Moon can be vivid.
Reflecting the deeply reddened sunlight scattered into Earth's shadow,
the darkened lunar disk was recorded in this time series composite image
from Cerro Tololo Observatory, Chile.
The lunar triptych captures
the start, middle, and end of the total eclipse phase
that lasted about an hour.
A faint
bluish tint
seen just along the brighter lunar limb at the
shadow's edge is due to sunlight
filtered through Earth's stratospheric ozone layer.
Growing Gallery:
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2025 March
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
