Total Lunar Eclipse of the Blood Moon

By Susan Smith Kline

A 90 minute total lunar eclipse happened on Sunday, May 15. We were able to view part of it here in Arcadia Valley, but then thick clouds rolled in. Some parts of the sky remained clear, but for me, the portion of sky where the moon was, was covered completely. I started to get the occasional glimpse after midnight as the eclipse was coming to an end, but nothing I could really get a decent photo of.
Blood Moons happen during a total lunar eclipse. This occurs when the Earth moves between the moon and the sun, casting a large shadow on the moon, putting the moon in darkness. This means the sun, Earth, and moon are in an exact, straight line, none of them are slightly off or in a different plane.
The Blood Moon looks red from light being scattered from the atmosphere and directed towards the surface of the moon.