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Probably a dumb question but about tonights (or last night) lunar eclipse. (fedia.io)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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If its a total lunar eclipse why does one edge remains brighter than the rest?

I have been googling for an answer for a while and cant find it. Even pictures of previous total lunar eclipses are the same. Is it because that side remain closer to the edge of the umbra? Or is it caused by how light behaves; Or because the surface of the moon is more reflective on that part.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

For a solar eclipse, to my knowledge, it's just a happy accident that our moon is pretty much the right size to block out our sun. Isn't that neat? A solar eclipse on every other planet in the solar system would end up being much less interesting.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

Unfortunately solar eclipses are going to get less neat over time, because the moon is gradually moving away from the earth.

But that's going to take thousands or millions of years, so in your lifetime it probably will still look just as neat.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Sorry, thats not my question. I misstyped solar instead of lunar so I take the blame.

But I agree that its quite amazing how perspective wroks between the sun, earth, and the moon. Earth is also the right size tho block out the sun the same way when viewed from the moon. Would be hard to believe if we werent experiencing it tbh.