lunar eclipse

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

geometry of a lunar eclipse

Solar and lunar eclipses, explained

Time-lapse: A total lunar eclipse

How do solar and lunar eclipses occur?

An animated image of a total lunar eclipse

Read Next

solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space

How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?

Solar Eclipse, Eclipse, Solar Flare, Outer Space, Astronomy

What Causes Lunar and Solar Eclipses?

Solar eclipse of the sun.

The Sun Was Eaten: 6 Ways Cultures Have Explained Eclipses

Colorful winter sunset

What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox?

Galileo spacecraft image of the Moon taken on December 7, 1992. The distinct bright ray crater at the bottom of the image is the Tycho impact basin. The dark areas are lava rock filled impact basins: Oceanus Procellarum (on the left), Mare Imbrium (cont'd

5 Things People See in the Moon

Discover

New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.

Why Is It Called Black Friday?

airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)

7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances

Paul Revere. "The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.," engraved by Paul Revere. Boston Massacre.

There’s a Riot Goin’ On: Riots in U.S. History (Part One)

Nelson Mandela, undated photo.

15 Nelson Mandela Quotes

NBA Lakers Celtics Finals Kevin Garnett shooting.

10 Great Sports Rivalries

An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.

11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

Artist interpretation of space asteroids impacting earth and moon. Meteoroids, meteor impact, end of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Doomsday Predictions, comet

Major Mass Extinctions

lunar eclipse: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos and Videos

geometry of a lunar eclipse

An animated image of a total lunar eclipse

Solar and lunar eclipses, explained

Time-lapse: A total lunar eclipse

How do solar and lunar eclipses occur?

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Eclipses in 2024, 2025, and 2026 eclipse Moon transit solar eclipse occultation earthshine ingress 2024 Solar Eclipse FAQ How Big Is the Moon?How to Watch an Eclipse Safely What Are the Phases of the Moon?saros

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Quiz

1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.

Brightest Star in the Solar System

Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.

All About Astronomy

Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.

All About Astronomy

Demystified

solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space

How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?