Lunar Eclipse Pictures: See Last Weekend's Red Moon

California Risin'

Photograph by Wally Pacholka, TWAN

The full moon glows crimson in the purple predawn during Saturday's total lunar eclipse over Newport Beach, California.

Unlike the sun, the moon doesn't go dark during its total eclipse. The eclipsed moon's characteristic rusty hues during totality—when the moon is fully within Earth's shadow—result from sunlight being scattered by Earth's dusty atmosphere and then reflected off the moon.

(See pictures from the previous total lunar eclipse in June.)

Published December 12, 2011

Longs Lunar Eclipse

Photograph by Don Oberbeck, My Shot

Cloaked in gray just before the color burst of totality, a partially eclipsed full moon sets behind Colorado's Longs Peak, the northernmost Rocky Mountain "fourteener"—a peak taller than 14,000 feet (4,300 meters).

In the places worldwide where Saturday's lunar eclipse was visible, observers generally had particularly clear viewing, according to the Sky & Telescope website—in part because relatively little volcanic ash has been pumped into Earth's upper atmosphere recently.

(Watch a moon facts video.)

Published December 12, 2011

Turn off the Dark

Photograph by Tim Wimborne, Reuters

Seemingly caught in the steel web of Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge, the moon is partially eclipsed by Earth's shadow Sunday morning, local time. (See your Australia pictures.)

The earth's shadow falls on the moon as it undergoes a total lunar eclipse viewed through the arch supports of the Sydney Harbour Bridge December 11, 2011. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne (AUSTRALIA - Tags: SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Published December 12, 2011

Red Rock

Photograph by Amir Abolfath, TWAN

A blushing moon—in the full throes of totality—shines on Iran during the weekend's total lunar eclipse.

(See "Best Space Pictures of 2011: Editors' Picks.")

Published December 12, 2011

Up, Up, and Awash in Shadow

Photograph by Babak Tafreshi, TWAN

Arcing toward totality, the full moon seems to catapult into darkness over Iran's Zagros Mountains in a composite picture taken during this weekend's total lunar eclipse.

(See more: "Lunar Eclipse Pictures: When the Moon Goes Red.")

Published December 12, 2011