Time lapse 5: Moon eclipse

Sometimes, the time-lapse collation of images does not lead to a video, but to a complex picture. Like this one from NASA.

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A Time-Lapse Lunar Eclipse
Credit & Copyright: Forrest J. Egan (Digital Astro)

Explanation: During a lunar eclipse, our Moon appeared to disappear.

As the Earth moved between the Moon and the Sun, the Earth’s shadow fell on the moon, making it quite dark.

In the above picture the Earth’s rotation, multiple exposures, and digital enhancements are used to create a time-lapse effect that dramatizes how the Moon looked as it faded out and re-appeared during the three hour lunar eclipse.

As the Earth’s shadow engulfed the Moon, the lunar images became less and less bright, practically disappearing during totality.

At this time, the Moon, which normally shines by reflecting direct sunlight, shone only by sunlight refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere.