On Tuesday November 8 people across Australia and New Zealand were treated to a total lunar eclipse. Taking this as an opportunity to not be missed, as the next one won’t be visible from our region until 2025, Bilgola photographer Mike O'Flynn took these great images and sent some in to share with you.
A lunar eclipse happens when the Moon travels through Earth’s shadow. If the Moon only partly makes it into the shadow, that’s a partial eclipse. In a total eclipse, the Moon becomes fully immersed and takes on a reddish/orange glow.
The only light reaching the Moon’s surface first passes through Earth’s atmosphere, which is why the Moon takes on a red hue. Just how red it appears will depend on how dusty Earth’s atmosphere is at the time.
This November’s eclipse, the period of totality – when the Moon is fully immersed in shadow – lasted 85 minutes. The whole shebang began at 7.19pm and was done by 11.49pm.
Pretty cool - thank you very much Mike; you're a star! - pun intended...
