WHAT HAPPENS DURING A LUNAR ECLIPSE?
In 2024 we’ll have two different eclipses of the Moon. But how do they happen, and why do total lunar eclipses turn our natural satellite red?
WORDS MARK THOMPSON
1 SAFE VIEWING
Unlike solar eclipses, it’s perfectly safe to look directly at a lunar eclipse with the naked eye, as you’re actually looking away from the Sun. Indeed, an eclipsed Moon is actually dimmer than a full Moon.
2 RED MOON
If Earth had no atmosphere, the Moon would disappear during a lunar eclipse. Instead it appears reddish because the green-to-violet portion of the light spectrum is filtered out by our atmosphere. This effect also reddens the sky at sunset.