The Sept. 7-8 total lunar eclipse has come and gone, treating stargazers to a breathtaking blood moon that was witnessed by over seven billion people across Asia, western Australia and eastern Europe.
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A total lunar eclipse occurs during a new moon phase when Earth passes directly between the lunar disk and the sun, entirely covering the natural satellite in its shadow.
When the moon slipped into our planet's inner shadow, the umbra, on Sept. 7, it underwent a spectacular transformation, as the red light from every sunset and sunrise on Earth fell upon its surface, turning it into a rusty red blood moon.
Billions of eyes and countless camera lenses turned skyward to witness the event, yielding a spectacular treasure trove of imagery that captured each phase of the eclipse in glorious detail. Read on to see the first spectacular views of the September total lunar eclipse.
First photos of the Sept. 7-8 blood moon total lunar eclipse
Necmettin Karaca captured this spectacular view of the moon on Sept. 7 as the deepest part of Earth's shadow swept over the lunar disk ahead of totality. Mare Crisium is visible as a dark oval to the upper right of the moon's surface, with Mare Tranquillitatis, Serenitatis and Fecunditatis arrayed beneath.
This striking image of the blood man was taken during totality by photographer Hector Retamal in the sky over Shanghai, as the lunar disk passed through Earth's umbral shadow, at which time Rayleigh Scattering forced it to adopt a deep rusty hue.
Finally Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed snapped the arc of Earth's colossal umbral shadow as it slipped from the lunar disk. Several bright craters are visible brightening the dark lunar maria that cover swathes of the lunar surface, with impact ejecta streaking outward from some of the younger sites.
Did you miss the lunar eclipse? Then be sure to check out our lunar eclipse live blog for a blow-by-blow of the event as it unfolded and read our lunar eclipse guide to find out more about the celestial mechanics that conspire to bring about a blood moon.
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