LUNAR ECLIPSE DEC. 21, 2010
The total lunar eclipse falls on the same day as the winter solstice, a rare cosmic event that hasn't occurred in centuries.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the sun's rays from the face of the moon. The moon is then fully in the shadow cast in space by the Earth.
Scattered across the rest of the night sky, the stars appeared brighter than usual in contrast.
The last time the solstice coincided with a total lunar eclipse on the same calendar day was long before any of our lifetimes.
The year, according to Geoff Chester, public affairs officer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, was 1638.
It was really AWESOME to experience this!!
Read MoreA total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the sun's rays from the face of the moon. The moon is then fully in the shadow cast in space by the Earth.
Scattered across the rest of the night sky, the stars appeared brighter than usual in contrast.
The last time the solstice coincided with a total lunar eclipse on the same calendar day was long before any of our lifetimes.
The year, according to Geoff Chester, public affairs officer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, was 1638.
It was really AWESOME to experience this!!
