What Happens During a Lunar Eclipse?

A lunar eclipse happens when Earth gets between the Sun and the Moon, blocking sunlight from reaching the Moon.

Imagine you're playing a game of flashlight tag in your living room. You’re the Sun, shining your flashlight around. Your friend is the Moon, running around the room. Now, you're both being chased by someone else, that's Earth. When Earth gets between you and your friend, it blocks the light from your flashlight. That’s what happens during a lunar eclipse, Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon.

Sometimes the Moon looks red or brown during an eclipse. It’s like when you put a piece of colored glass in front of a flashlight. The light passes through the glass and changes color. In this case, Earth's atmosphere acts like that colored glass, bending the sunlight and giving the Moon a reddish look.

A lunar eclipse can last for hours! It’s like watching your friend slowly get covered in shadow while you keep shining your flashlight, it takes time for them to go from bright to dark.