A little over an hour after the Moon rose in the eastern sky, the full moon began to quickly disappear into the Earth’s shadow as a black shadow spread across the Moon’s surface. Then, after another hour, it became a total lunar eclipse as the entire Moon completely entered the Earth’s shadow. This was the first total lunar eclipse in three years since the eclipse in December of 2011.

In Mitaka Tokyo, the weather conditions were questionable until sunset, with patches of blue sky appearing and disappearing in the thick clouds covering the sky. But as the Moon ascended higher in the sky, the clouds parted. Around the time the lunar eclipse started, it had changed to a flawless sky. Unfortunately the bronze Moon was covered up by thick clouds before the eclipse finished, but this time we could enjoy the mystic shape of the eclipsed Moon floating in the night sky and the starry summer sky opening up overhead. It was also possible to find Uranus right next the extinguished Moon. All of Japan will be able to see another full lunar eclipse again on April 4, 2015.

Author: Tomoko Ono (NAOJ Public Relations Center)