Editing Lunar eclipse (section)

{{Short description|Natural phenomenon wherein the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon}}
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[[File:Lunar eclipse 04-15-2014 by R Jay GaBany.jpg|thumb|alt=A total lunar eclipse|Composite image of the [[April 2014 lunar eclipse|April 2014 total lunar eclipse]] from [[Charleston, West Virginia]], United States]]

A '''lunar eclipse''' is an [[astronomical event]] that occurs when the [[Moon]] moves into the [[Earth's shadow]], causing the Moon to be darkened.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://earthsky.org/tonight/centurys-longest-lunar-eclipse-july-27 |title=Century's Longest Lunar Eclipse July 27 |last=McClure |first=Bruce |date=27 July 2018 |website=[[EarthSky]] |access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref> Such an alignment occurs during an [[eclipse season]], approximately every six months, during the [[full moon]] phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to [[Ecliptic|the plane of the Earth's orbit]].

This can occur only when the [[Sun]], Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned (in [[syzygy (astronomy)|syzygy]]) with Earth between the other two, which can happen only on the night of a full moon when the Moon is near either [[lunar node]]. The type and length of a lunar eclipse depend on the Moon's proximity to the lunar node.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eclipses - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/moon/eclipses/ |access-date=13 May 2024 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=6 June 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NASA - Periodicity of Lunar Eclipses |url=https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEperiodicity.html |access-date=13 May 2024 |website=eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov}}</ref>

When the Moon is totally eclipsed by the Earth (a "deep eclipse"),<ref name="QZ-2023">{{cite web |author=Staff |title=PHYS 1350 Astronomy Exam 3 (TXST-Olson) |url=https://quizlet.com/341047631/phys-1350-astronomy-exam-3-txst-olson-flash-cards/ |date=2023 |work=[[Quizlet]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20231109125204/https://quizlet.com/341047631/phys-1350-astronomy-exam-3-txst-olson-flash-cards/ |archivedate=9 November 2023 |accessdate=9 November 2023 }} "What is a deep eclipse? The smaller star is behind the bigger star"</ref><ref name="AT-20231107">{{cite news |author=Miller, A.M. |display-authors=et al.|title=ATel #16328 - ASASSN-23ht: A Deep Eclipse Event |url=https://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=16328 |date=7 November 2023 |work=[[The Astronomer's Telegram]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20231109132351/https://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=16328 |archivedate=9 November 2023 |accessdate=9 November 2023 }}</ref> it takes on a reddish color that is caused by the planet when it completely blocks direct [[sunlight]] from reaching the Moon's surface, as the only light that is [[diffuse reflection|reflected]] from the lunar surface is what has been [[atmospheric refraction|refracted]] by the [[Earth's atmosphere]]. This light appears reddish due to the [[Rayleigh scattering]] of blue light, the same reason sunrises and sunsets are more orange than during the day.

Unlike a [[solar eclipse]], which can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the [[night]] side of Earth. A total lunar eclipse can last up to nearly two hours (while a total solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes at any given place) because the Moon's [[umbra, penumbra, and antumbra|shadow]] is smaller. Also unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view without any [[astronomical filter|eye protection]] or special precautions.

The symbol for a lunar eclipse (or any body in the shadow of another) is [[file:Lunar eclipse symbol.svg|🝶]] (U+1F776 🝶).