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Credit & Copyright: Anthony Ayiomamitis
(TWAN)
Explanation:
The dark, inner shadow of planet Earth
is called the umbra.
Shaped like a cone extending into space, the umbra has a
circular cross section that can be most easily seen during
a lunar eclipse.
For example, last Saturday
the Full Moon slid across the northern
edge of the umbra.
Entertaining
moon watchers throughout Earth's eastern hemisphere, the
lunar
passage created a deep but partial lunar eclipse.
This
composite image uses
successive pictures recorded during
the
eclipse from Athens, Greece to trace out a large part of the
umbra's curved edge.
The result nicely illustrates the relative size of the umbra's
cross section at the distance of the Moon, as well as the
Moon's path
through the Earth's shadow.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: lunar eclipse
Publications with words: lunar eclipse
See also:
- APOD: 2026 August 29 Á Eclipse Pair
- APOD: 2026 August 25 Á Earths Shadow Visualized with Lunar Eclipses
- APOD: 2025 November 3 Á A Double Helix Lunar Eclipse
- APOD: 2025 September 11 Á The Umbra of Earth
- APOD: 2025 March 25 Á A Blue Banded Blood Moon
- Eclipse Pair
- APOD: 2023 October 29 Á A Partial Lunar Eclipse