See the 'Blood Red' Moon America Missed

Lunar eclipse was the longest one in 11 years
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 16, 2011 7:01 AM CDT
See the 'Blood Red' Moon America Missed
Two men watch as the earth casts its shadow over the moon during a total lunar eclipse, seen from a hill in Vallentuna outside of Stockholm a few minutes before midnight, Wednesday, June 15.   (AP Photo/Scanpix, P M Heden)

Moon-gazers were treated to the longest lunar eclipse in 11 years last night, with the total eclipse phase lasting 100 minutes. Well, moon-gazers in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, that is. Americans missed out on a truly spectacular occurrence, thanks to the fact that this was a "deep lunar eclipse." The phenomenon, in which the moon exudes a coppery color, depends on the amount of ash and dust in the atmosphere—and there was plenty of it overnight, thanks to a recently erupted Chilean volcano. It made the moon appear orange or red, especially in Asia, reports the AP. Check out photos in the gallery. (More lunar eclipse stories.)

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