homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Incredible picture of the red Moon during the eclipse (with explanation)

I sure hope everybody knows what an eclipse is and there’s no need to pass through that again; if not, here’s the wikipedia article about eclipse. What I’m more interested in telling you about is why the Moon tends to get this delicious reddish hue during some eclipses – as observed in this fascinating picture. […]

Mihai Andrei
June 27, 2011 @ 1:40 pm

share Share

Photo by NASA.

I sure hope everybody knows what an eclipse is and there’s no need to pass through that again; if not, here’s the wikipedia article about eclipse. What I’m more interested in telling you about is why the Moon tends to get this delicious reddish hue during some eclipses – as observed in this fascinating picture.

The matter can be understood quite easily, if you think as the matter as being on the Moon. If you’re on the Moon during an eclipse, then the Sun would appear to be setting behind the Earth. As you’ve probably seen, during sunlight or sunset, the sky sometimes gets filled with these reddish colours as well, and the reason is quite similar.

The red coloring appears because sunlight that reaches the Moon must pass through a long and dense layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, where it is scattered. Shorter wavelengths are more likely to be scattered and so the longer wavelengths dominate, and the resulting colour is red.

share Share

Pluto in Focus: From Pixelated Smudge to Stunning, Geology-Rich World

NASA’s New Horizons mission revolutionized our view of Pluto, revealing a vibrant, geologically active world full of surprises.

From Wood to Rock: The Fascinating Process of Petrified Wood

Just like a number of creatures, wood can fossilize too.

The fascinating history (and science) of the freezing of Niagara Falls

Niagara doesn't completely freeze, per se. But big chunks of it

Picture of the day: fluorescent chicken embryo

This is a picture of a chicken embryo being fed through fluorescent-labeled blood vessels from the yolk.

Hubble captures dramatic outburst of space "volcano"

A binary system of a red giant and white dwarf is creating a spectacular show in R Aquarii.

The stunning history of the Fukang Pallasite meteorite

In the year 2,000, a Chinese dealer purchased an unusual-looking rock weighing around a ton. He cleaned it off, removing 20 kilograms (44 lb) from it, and then took the rock (a gleaming mass of crystals and iron) to a Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson, Arizona. At the show, Dr. Dante Lauretta, a professor […]

The stunning trail of darkness left behind by hurricane Helene

This was the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States since Maria in 2017

From Mafia Squirrels to Smooching Owlets: 'Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards' Reveals Hilarious Animal Photos

Smiling seals and crash-landing birds raise awareness for conservation through comedy.

Benbulbin: The Geology Behind Ireland’s Legendary Mountain

Ireland’s iconic table mountain has a fascinating geological history.

That super valuable asteroid worth 100 bajillion dollars? JWST images show it's rusting

We may or may not mine the asteroid — but in the meantime, researchers are finding out more things about it.