SciTech Tuesday: Total Eclipse of the Moon
Sunday marked the 70th anniversary of the 1942 total lunar eclipse visible in North and South America, Western Europe, and Africa. The only total eclipse of the moon fully visible across the US during WWII, both troops overseas and their families on the home front could share this celestial event.
A lunar eclipse occurs only during a full moon when it passes through the Earth’s shadow. Specifically a total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire moon passes through the umbra, or inner portion of the Earth’s shadow blocking all direct sunlight from reaching the moon. As a result the moon appears deep orange or red in color because a small amount of filtered sunlight reaches the moon by the refractive qualities of the Earth’s atmosphere. Learn more about the lunar eclipse of August 26, 1942.
The total lunar eclipse of October 28, 2004, shown above, was similar to the August 26, 1942 eclipse in terms of visibility, duration, and location. Photo by Fred Espenak, 2004.
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Post by Annie Tête, STEM Education Coordinator at The National WWII Museum.
