Astronomy - September 2015

56 ASTRONOMY • SEPTEMBER 2015

IMAGINE A CRISP, CLEAR FALL EVENING: You are

lounging among a few hundred fellow earthlings on an

east-facing hillside as the largest Full Moon of the year rises

above the horizon. A buzz circulates through the crowd as

one by one, the Moon-gazers notice a shadow slowly sweep-

ing across the lunar face. A total lunar eclipse completely

transforms our satellite’s appearance with subtle and shift-

ing hues of gray, orange, and red. And the crowd goes wild!

LUNAR OBSERVING

During the total lunar eclipse
December 10, 2011, this pho-
tographer captured a series of
exposures that show the ever-
brightening Moon rising and
emerging from Earth’s shadow.
In the foreground are the ruins
of the ancient city of Persepolis
in modern Iran. FARZAD ASHKAR