Stargazers marvel at longest partial lunar eclipse for hundreds of years

Longest partial lunar eclipse for 1,000 years has begun

Brenda Lee posted this footage showing the moment from her vantage point in Sachse near Dallas, Texas. Credit: Brenda Lee via Storyful

DALLAS - Did you catch the rare partial lunar eclipse last night?

Stargazers in the US, including Brenda Lee of Texas, marveled at the night sky in the early hours of November 19 as the longest partial lunar eclipse in hundreds of years began. During the event, most locations saw up to 97% of the moon slip into Earth’s shadow.

According to EarthSky, which offers night sky and science news, the last partial lunar eclipse that stretched longer happened on February 18, 1440 — 581 years ago.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align so the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse requires no special equipment to view, so this event is safe to watch with your own eyes.

The moon may appear to turn red as the only sunlight reaching the Moon will have passed through Earth’s atmosphere, according to NASA. The phenomenon is also being called a Blood Moon and a Beaver Moon.

The next time Earth will see a partial lunar eclipse as long will be on February 8, 2669.

Storyful contributed to this article

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