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Space Station Science

Picture of the Day

May 19, 2003

Space Station Lunar Eclipse
Photo credit: ISS Expedition 7 science officer Ed Lu, NASA

May 19, 2003: Full moons are normally bright and dazzling. This one
was barely visible. 

International Space Station (ISS) science officer Ed Lu took this
picture on May 15th. The moon was dark because it was inside Earth's
shadow--a lunar eclipse. Sky watchers in the Americas, Europe, Africa
and parts of Asia saw it, too. The moon glided into the shadow of our
planet, dimmed and reddened, then glided back out again. From start
to finish the eclipse lasted more than three hours. 

Unlike total eclipses of the Sun, which last only minutes, total
eclipses of the moon are slow. Even so, Lu didn't have much time to
take his picture. Why? The space station traveling 17,500 mph races
around Earth once every 90 minutes. From Lu's point of view, the moon
was constantly rising and setting, quickly emerging from behind
Earth's limb then disappearing again. There was nothing leisurely
about it.

This was the first lunar eclipse of 2003. The second comes on Nov.
9th. Lu is slated to come home in October, so he can watch that one
from Earth ... with more time to enjoy the show.

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