Lunar eclipse shadows moon; last one until 2010

Gannett Wisconsin Media The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 was on view Wednesday night for stargazers who dared to brave the cold for a look. The eclipse, which occurs when the full moon passes into the Earth’s shadow and is blocked from the sun’s rays that normally illuminate it, began around 7:45 p.m. and reached totality around 9, remaining in that stage for about 50 minutes. “The advantage of the lunar eclipse is that it progresses over a number of hours,” said Randy Lutz of the Sheboygan Astronomical Society.

As the moonlight dimmed, Saturn and the bright star Regulus made appearances. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo.

The next total lunar eclipse will be Dec. 20, 2010. There were two such eclipses last year. Later this year, in August, a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse will occur.