Lunar eclipse over the Bay Area
ALAMEDA, Calif.--Last night, during a calm, clear night in what had largely been a wet, rainy, and cloud-covered week, the Bay Area was treated to spectacular views of a bright orange moon.
The lunar eclipse, the second of 2010, occurs at the moon's descending node in eastern Taurus, four days before perigee, the point when the moon comes closest to Earth.
This eclipse happened to occur on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, occurred during a full lunar eclipse--a combination that hasn't happened in 372 years.
Seen in this image taken from Alameda, Calif., the penumbral shadow begins to appear, just before the moon begins to enter the Earth's dark umbral shadow at 10:30 p.m. PT on December 20, 2010.