Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Explanation:Did you need to be on the right side of this airplane to see this eclipse?
No. Lunar eclipsesare routinely seen from thehalf of the Earthfacing the Moon when the eclipse occurs, making them some of the most commonly witnessed astronomical events.
You don’t even need anyspecial equipmentto see one — just yourunaided eyes.
Lunar eclipses are also some of themostphotographedastronomicaleventsbecause, unlike with a solar eclipse, your eyesand camera do not have to look toward the bright Sun.
However, considering thefeatured imagetakenlast weekfrom Portugal, if you were on the left side ofthat airplaneduring takeoff, you might have trouble seeing it — at first.
But even then, after takeoff, sincelunar eclipsestypically last for hours, you might soon be able to safely cross the aisle to see it.
Gallery:Lunar Eclipse of 2026 AugustAPOD’s main NASA site ismoving:Fromapod.nasa.govtoscience.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow’s picture:cultural eclipses