In the cosmic dance of the heavenly bodies, a full lunar eclipse occurs when the earth lines up in a direct line with the moon and the sun, shielding the moon from the light of the sun.
Not all inhabitants of planet earth can view this phenomenon. Because the moon is smaller than the earth, it can only cast its eclipse shadow on part of the earth. For this eclipse, the inhabitants of North America get to view it in its entirety. Below is a map of the eclipse shadow as the moon rises and sets.
Path of Lunar Eclipse 12/21/2010
1st image: Public Domain Image from NASA.
2nd image: Public Domain Image as documented on Wikipedia
