# Lunar eclipse question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-eclipse-question/175615 "2003-05-16T04:43:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-eclipse-question/175615/1 "2003-05-16T04:43:58Z")
Why is the moon still partially lit during a lunar eclipse? I assume it’s because the earth’s atmosphere scatters the sun’s light behind it enough to provide some ‘glow’ ? OK, then: why is the moon a deep orange color during the eclipse? Is our atmosphere absorbing all the ‘blue’ wavelengths or somesuch? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-eclipse-question/175615/2 "2003-05-16T04:47:05Z")
More or less you have it right. The atmosphere doesn’t absorb the blue light, it scatters it, so mostly reddish light passes through. It’s the same reason the sun looks redder during a sunset and why the sky is blue. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-eclipse-question/175615/3 "2003-05-16T05:25:09Z")
I missing it right now. Bunch of tornadic storms all around me. Been overcast all evening before the storms came up. So, what shade (red/orange) is it this time? I’ve never seen one quite the color of the Aug 16, 1989 eclipse when it was blood red and still fairly bright. It it darkish or lightish? Tell me what I’m missing, please. [frustrated amateur astronomer] ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-eclipse-question/175615/4 "2003-05-16T05:49:25Z")
[The Bad Astronomy web site has the answers!](http://www.badastronomy.com/) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-eclipse-question/175615/5 "2003-05-16T05:49:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > It’s the same reason the sun looks redder during a sunset and why the sky is blue. Gotcha – we’re scattering sunset-light at the moon around the perimeter of our shadow, so the moon glows orangeish. Hmmm, a view of Earth from the moon during the eclipse might be fairly striking. Is there a picture available of what a lunar eclipse looks like if you’re on the moon at the time? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-eclipse-question/175615/6 "2003-05-16T05:55:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > Tell me what I’m missing, please. I saw it just past totality. I’m in California and it was rising. There was a slice of brilliant white Moon on the left, and the rest of the moon was a deep ruddy orange color, quite dark and difficult to see at all. FWIW, I last saw a total lunar eclipse in NA around '72 or so, and the moon was quite a lot brighter & oranger during totality than what I saw tonight.