The March 3 total lunar eclipse has been and gone, astounding skywatchers around the world with a breathtaking display of orbital mechanics as the lunar disk plunged into Earth's umbral shadow, transforming it into a crimson-hued blood moon.
A total lunar eclipse occurs as Earth passes between the moon and the sun during a full moon phase. No direct sunlight can reach the lunar surface during totality, as the lunar disk passes through the deepest part of our planet's shadow, known as its umbra. Instead, the moon is doused in sunlight that has been filtered by Earth's atmosphere — which is adept at scattering blue light while allowing longer redder wavelengths to pass relatively unhindered — causing it to turn a rusty, blood red color.
