Explanation:
The International Year
of Astronomy 2009 ended with
a Blue Moon and a
partial lunar eclipse,
as the second Full Moon of December
grazed the Earth's
shadow on December 31st.
The New Year's Eve Blue Moon eclipse was
visible throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and parts of Alaska,
captured in this two exposure composite in
cloudy skies over Saint Bonnet de Mure, France.
Playing
across the Moon's southern reaches, the
edge
of Earth's umbra, or
dark central shadow, appears on the right side along
with the prominent ray crater Tycho.
At maximum eclipse, the umbra covered only
about 8 percent of the diameter of the lunar disk.
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