what happens during a lunar eclipse
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the Moon and making it darken and often turn red.
Quick Scoop: What actually happens?
- The Moon is full and the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up in (almost) a straight line.
- Earth’s shadow stretches out into space and the Moon travels through that shadow.
- Direct sunlight is blocked, so the Moon fades, darkens, and often glows coppery red instead of disappearing.
Think of it like this: you’re shining a flashlight (the Sun) on a ball (the Moon), then you move your head (the Earth) right in front—the ball ends up in your shadow.
The stages of a lunar eclipse
A total lunar eclipse unfolds in clear steps.
- Penumbral eclipse begins
- The Moon enters the pale outer part of Earth’s shadow (penumbra).
- The dimming is very subtle; many people barely notice anything at first.
- Partial eclipse begins
- The Moon starts sliding into the dark inner shadow (umbra).
- You see a dark “bite” or curved shadow creeping across the Moon’s disk.
- Total eclipse (totality) begins
- The Moon is now fully inside the umbra.
- It stops looking bright white and instead glows red, brown, or deep orange.
- Maximum eclipse
- This is the deepest point of the eclipse, when the Moon is most strongly darkened and colored.
- Total eclipse ends → Partial ends → Penumbral ends
- The Moon gradually moves out of the umbra, then the penumbra, reversing the steps.
- It brightens back to a normal full Moon.
Why the Moon turns red (the “Blood Moon” effect)
- During totality, Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.
- But some sunlight skims through Earth’s atmosphere, bends (refracts), and still reaches the Moon.
- Earth’s atmosphere scatters away most of the bluer light (Rayleigh scattering), letting the longer, redder wavelengths pass through.
- That red light is projected onto the Moon, so we see it glowing red or copper—this is why people call it a “Blood Moon.”
The exact color depends on how dusty, smoky, or cloudy Earth’s atmosphere is at that time: more particles can make the Moon look darker and deeper red.
Types of lunar eclipses
| Type | What happens | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Penumbral lunar eclipse | Moon passes only through Earth’s outer shadow (penumbra). | [3][7]Very slight dimming; often hard to notice with the naked eye. | [5][3]
| Partial lunar eclipse | Part of the Moon enters the dark inner shadow (umbra). | [7][9][3]A dark curved “bite” is taken out of the Moon’s disk. | [3][5]
| Total lunar eclipse | The entire Moon passes through the umbra. | [1][9][7][3]Moon turns red, brown, or orange (a “Blood Moon”). | [9][1][3]
Extra cool facts and context
- A lunar eclipse can only happen at Full Moon , but not every Full Moon gives an eclipse because the Moon’s orbit is tilted, so the alignment has to be just right.
- Unlike a solar eclipse, it’s completely safe to watch a lunar eclipse with your naked eyes, binoculars, or a telescope.
- People across the entire night side of Earth can usually see a lunar eclipse if the Moon is above their horizon.
- Recent eclipses often become trending “sky events,” with people sharing photos and time-lapse videos whenever a striking red Moon appears.
TL;DR: During a lunar eclipse, Earth lines up between the Sun and the Moon so that Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon; the Moon darkens and often turns red because sunlight filtered through Earth’s atmosphere softly illuminates it.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.