Skip to main content
Everyday science

Everyday science

Red Moon of Ontario

21 Dec 2010 Hamish Johnston

john moon1.jpg


By Hamish Johnston

john moon2.jpg

My old friend John Shymko has posted some lovely photos of a very red eclipsed Moon that he took early this morning in southern Ontario.

The Earth is blocking direct sunlight from reaching the Moon, which is instead illuminated by sunlight that has scattered through the Earth’s atmosphere. This is what gives the Moon its lovely red colour.

Indeed, consulting NASA’s entry on the Danjon scale I’d say that John’s Moon scores full marks at L=4. This means that John saw a full umbral eclipse.

Copyright © 2025 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors