Celestial Challenge - Monday - Darkness
The Lunar Eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow). Lunar eclipse only occurs when the Sun, Earth and the Moon are perfectly or closely aligned with Earth in the middle.
The total lunar eclipse is when the sunlight is completely blocked by the Earth and the only light seen is through the Earth's shadow. The reason it look red is because of Rayleigh Scattering (it causes the blue hue of the daytime sky and reddish hue during sunset). Because of its reddish color, a total lunar eclipse is sometimes called Blood Moon
The above image illustrates the lunar eclipse and makes it easier to understand. Partial lunar eclipse occurs when only a portion of the Moon enters the umbra, total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is completely inside the umbra.
These lunar eclipse are also a source of different kinds myths. Several cultures have myths related to the eclipse.
The Egyptians saw the eclipse as a sow swallowing the moon for a short time while other cultures view the eclipse as an animal swallowing the Moon, such as a jaguar in Mayan tradition or a three legged toad in Chinese tradition. There are lots of other myths attached to lunar eclipse, some of which are still believed to this day.