What Causes a ‘Lunar’ Eclipse and How Is It Seen?

A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth blocks the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon. Imagine it like this: The Sun is like a big flashlight, and the Earth is in between, blocking the light so the Moon gets dark. But sometimes the light still reaches the Moon through the edge of the Earth, making it look red or brown, like it's wearing a cloak of fire.

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Examples

Imagine it’s nighttime and your mom turns off the lamp, that’s like the Moon going into the umbra during an eclipse.
When you put a glass of water between a flashlight and a wall, the light becomes blurry and colored, similar to how sunlight is scattered before reaching the Moon.
A red apple in front of a blue light looks orange, just like the Moon can look red during an eclipse.

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Categories: Space · Eclipse,Moon,Earth,Sun