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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/astro-lunar-eclipse-full-moon

Which alignment produces a lunar eclipse?

At full Moon, Earth lies between the Sun and Moon.

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  1. Moon between Earth and Sun
  2. Earth between Sun and Moon ✔
  3. Sun between Earth and Moon

Why: A lunar eclipse occurs when the full Moon enters Earth's shadow. The Moon's tilted orbit means this precise alignment does not occur at every full Moon.

Huh, didn't know that: A total lunar eclipse looks red because Earth's atmosphere filters and bends reddish sunlight into the shadow.

The dad joke
The eclipsed Moon saw red, but only after Earth filtered the light.
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References

Answer: Earth between Sun and Moon. A lunar eclipse occurs when the full Moon enters Earth's shadow. The Moon's tilted orbit means this precise alignment does not occur at every full Moon.

  1. Eclipses and the Moon science.nasa.gov/moon/eclipses
    Lunar eclipses occur at the full Moon phase.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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