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The longest lunar eclipse in 600 years lights up skies across the world

A stunning lunar eclipse occurred the morning of November 19 and it could be viewed for over three hours in the US.

It involved the Earth’s shadow covering about 97 percent of the full Beaver Moon.

In North America, the timings were perfect for the eclipse to be viewed in full.

The part of the Moon visible during the eclipse looked reddish in color.

An eclipse in general is described as a body coming between us and a light emitter, with the source no longer being visible.

But it can also occur when a body comes between a light source and the body that the light is illuminating, so we can no longer see the illuminated body.

A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun.

The Earth’s shadow obscures the Moon or a portion of it.

A solar eclipse on the other hand occurs when the Moon comes directly between the Sun and the Earth so it lies in the shadow of the Moon.

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The partial lunar eclipse is seen next to the antenna on top of One World Trade Center in New York City, New York November 19, 2021.
The partial lunar eclipse is seen next to the antenna on top of One World Trade Center in New York City, New York November 19, 2021.Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
People wearing face masks stand at a viewpoint of Jingshan Park with their photo cameras as they wait for the partial lunar eclipse, which was not visible from the viewpoint, in Beijing, China, 19 November 2021.
People wearing face masks stand at a viewpoint of Jingshan Park with their photo cameras as they wait for the partial lunar eclipse, which was not visible from the viewpoint, in Beijing, China, 19 November 2021.Roman Pilipey/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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The Beaver 'blood' moon partial lunar eclipse is seen above the Washington Monument in Washington DC.
The Beaver ‘blood’ moon partial lunar eclipse is seen above the Washington Monument in Washington DC. Reuters/Al Drago
The longest partial lunar eclipse in 580 years seen from the city of Bogota, Colombia.
The longest partial lunar eclipse in 580 years seen from the city of Bogota, Colombia. Daniel Garzon Herazo/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
A partial lunar eclipse occurring behind ‘The Statue of Freedom’, the bronze statue atop the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC.Michael Reynolds/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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The ‘blood’ moon in New York City.
The ‘blood’ moon in New York City. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
Lunar eclipse rises over the skyline of Shanghai, China.
Lunar eclipse rises over the skyline of Shanghai, China.Reuters/Aly Song
The partial lunar eclipse is seen next to the Empire State Building in New York City.
The partial lunar eclipse is seen next to the Empire State Building in New York City.Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
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The eclipse started in the US around 01:02 ET with the Moon looking obscured at 02:18 ET.

An eclipse makes the Moon look reddish due to a disruption in the light waves that can reach us on Earth.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission.