Top 10 Lunar Eclipse Facts By Robert Roy Britt Senior Science Writer posted: 07:00 am ET 13 May 2003
10) Eclipse speed limits
During an eclipse, the Moon races through Earth's shadow at about 2,280 mph
(1 kilometer per second). This is how fast the Moon is always moving around
our planet.
That's an average speed, however. The Moon's orbit is not circular, but rather
shaped like an ellipse. Orbital mechanics dictate that the satellite must move
faster when closer to Earth and slower when farther away.