A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned (in syzygy) with Earth between the other two, and only on the night of a full moon.

What is eclipsing the moon?

Lunar eclipses occur when Earth's shadow blocks the sun's light, which otherwise reflects off the moon. There are three types — total, partial and penumbral — with the most dramatic being a total lunar eclipse, in which Earth's shadow completely covers the moon.

What happens during an eclipse of the moon?

During a total lunar eclipse, Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon. Earth casts a shadow onto the Moon. The Moon can look reddish orange. An eclipse occurs when one heavenly body such as a moon or planet moves into the shadow of another heavenly body.