Lunar Eclipse

The cause of Lunar Eclipse

The earth throws a long shadow behind the side facing the sun. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the earth's shadow. This shadow has two parts: the total shadow called the umbra and the partial shadow termed the penumbra.  (See Fig. 1)

If the moon becomes completely immersed into the umbra, a total eclipse occurs; and if only a portion of it falls into the umbra, a partial eclipse occurs.

During totality, the moon is not completely invisible.  This is due to the fact that some sunlight are refracted by the earth's thin atmosphere into the umbra and illuminate the moon, making it coppery-red in colour.  Its brightness varies for different total eclipses depending on the geometry of the moon's path through the umbra and also on the earth's atmospheric conditions. 

Sometimes the moon only enters the penumbra without touching the umbra. This is a penumbral lunar eclipse. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, only the apparent brightness of the moon will become dimmer but the limb of the moon will not be obscured by the earth's shadow.

Different Stages in Lunar Eclipse

There are 7 stages during the occurrence of an eclipse:

1. "Moon enters penumbra" - the first contact of the moon and the earth's penumbra
2. "Moon enters umbra" - when the moon enters the earth's umbra, this is the start of partial lunar eclipse
3. "Total eclipse begins" - when the moon touches the umbra internally, at this time, the moon is totally immersed in the umbra and total eclipse starts
4. "Middle of eclipse" - occurs when the centre of the moon is closest to the centre of the earth's umbra
5. "Total eclipse ends" - when the moon touches the umbra internally again, this signifies the end of total eclipse
6. "Moon leaves umbra" - the time when the moon touches the umbra externally, this is the end of partial lunar eclipse
7. "Moon leaves penumbra" - when the moons leaves the penumbra

During a partial eclipse, the "total eclipse begins" and "total eclipse ends" would not occur.  In a penumbral eclipse, there would only be "moon enters penumbra",  "middle of eclipse" and "moon leaves penumbra".