Luner Eclipse

[Alliboy]

I watched the lunar eclipse from the bigginning but it was not what I expected. I thought that the moon would become copper coloured all over whilst in totallity but for some reason there was always a white bit. It stayed at the top of the moon for the duration of the totallity and then worked its way around to the left side before finnally the totallity ended. This white bit is sun light right? If so was this a total eclipse then?

Somewhat confused

Sorry if I am being dim

[geppetto]

Sorry if I am being dim

Not dim at all, I wondered the same.

From my viewpoint, there was always a white bit left.

[Vega]

Hi Aliboy / geppetto

The white bit was not pure reflected sunlight, however it was the result of the moon not going directly through the centre of the Earth's main shadow (or umbra). See this digram to see it's path. Had the moon gone right through the centre of the shadow, the moon would have gone even darker with no lightish 'side' at all.

The only reason that the moon doesn't completely disappear is that the Earth has an atmosphere. When the sun is completely behind the Earth (as viewed from the moon), light still manages to get on to the moon through refracted light, mainly from our oceans and sky. It would be an awsome sight from the moon seeing the Earth as a bright blue ring in the sky.

Vega

[Alliboy]

OK thanks but I would like to know more about why the white light occurs during totality

[Vega]

As mentioned above, it's the result of refracted light when the moon is near the edge of the Earth's shadow.

[geppetto]

Thanks Vega 8)

[dazza1639]

Nice explanation Vega.

Darren