Total Lunar Eclipse - 15 June 2011



A total lunar eclipse happens when the moon, Earth and sun line up, and our home planet casts a vast shadow that engulfs the moon.

When the moon moves into the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, the umbra, it will turn a slate grey or brick red colour. The moon changes colour because blue light - and other short wavelengths - scatter more in the Earth's atmosphere, with more red light getting through.

This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, there is always a full moon the night of a lunar eclipse. These first three photos show the moon moving into the earth's shadow - between 20:15 and 21:18 hours GMT +2.








These photos - taken with a 70-300mm lens on a Canon 60D  were captured between 20:15 and 23:45 hours GMT +2 in Johannesburg, South Africa.







The last three photos reflect the emergence of the moon from out of the earths shadow moving into the penumbra and then beyond. These photos were taken at between 22:45 and 23:45 hours GMT +2.