In a lunar eclipse the Moon moves into Earth's shadow. Observers on the night side of Earth see the Moon take on a reddish hue as it moves into Earth's umbra. If the entire disk of the Moon falls into the umbra it is total lunar eclipse. If only a portion does, then it is a partial lunar eclipse. Penumbral lunar eclipses are very difficult to detect because the Moon dims only slightly while moving through that region.
Lunar eclipses are more common than solar eclipses.
Total eclipses of the Sun and Moon are partial before and after totality. Popular astronomy magazines, available on many news stands, always give timely eclipse details. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement .