Lunar eclipses occur when Earth's shadow blocks the sun's light, which otherwise reflects off

the moon. There are three types — total, partial and penumbral — with the most dramatic
being a total lunar eclipse, in which Earth's shadow completely covers the moon. The next
lunar eclipse will be a total lunar eclipse on Jan. 31, 2018.

Next Lunar Eclipse

Here is a schedule of upcoming lunar eclipses:

 January 31, 2018: Total eclipse. Visible from Asia, Australia, Pacific Ocean, western
North America.
 July 27, 2018: Total eclipse. Visible from South America, Europe, Africa, Asia,
Australia.
 January 19, 2019: Total eclipse. Visible from North and South America, Europe,
Africa.
 July 16, 2019: Partial eclipse. Visible from South America, Europe, Africa, Asia,
Australia.

NASA keeps a list predicting lunar eclipses until 2100. They also keep data about past lunar
eclipses. During the 21st century, Earth will experience a total of 228 lunar eclipses,
according to the space agency.

What is a lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse can occur only at full moon. A total lunar eclipse can happen only when the
sun, Earth and moon are perfectly lined up — anything less than perfection creates a partial
lunar eclipse or no eclipse at all. Some understanding of simple celestial mechanics explains
how lunar eclipses work. [Infographic: Total Eclipse of the Moon]

Because the moon's orbit around Earth lies in a slightly different plane than Earth's orbit
around the sun, perfect alignment for an eclipse doesn't occur at every full moon. A total
lunar eclipse develops over time, typically a couple hours for the whole event. Here's how it
works: Earth casts two shadows that fall on the moon during a lunar eclipse: The umbra is a
full, dark shadow. The penumbra is a partial outer shadow. The moon passes through these
shadows in stages. The initial and final stages — when the moon is in the penumbral
shadow — are not so noticeable, so the best part of an eclipse is during the middle of the
event, when the moon is in the umbral shadow.
Total eclipses are a freak of cosmic happenstance. Ever since the moon formed, about 4.5
billion years ago, it has been inching away from our planet (by about 1.6 inches, or 4
centimeters per year). The setup right now is perfect: the moon is at the perfect distance for
Earth's shadow to cover the moon totally, but just barely. Billions of years from now, that
won't be the case.

According to NASA, two to four solar eclipses occur each year, while lunar eclipses are less
frequent. "In any one calendar year, the maximum number of eclipses is four solar and
three lunar," the agency said. However, while solar eclipses can only be seen along a roughly
50-mile wide path, each lunar eclipse is visible from over half the Earth.

Types of lunar eclipses

Total lunar eclipse: Earth's full (umbral) shadow falls on the moon. The moon won't
completely disappear, but it will be cast in an eerie darkness that makes it easy to miss if
you were not looking for the eclipse. Some sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere is
scattered and refracted, or bent, and refocused on the moon, giving it a dim glow even
during totality. If you were standing on the moon, looking back at the sun, you'd see the
black disk of Earth blocking the entire sun, but you'd also see a ring of reflected light glowing
around the edges of Earth — that's the light that falls on the moon during a total lunar
eclipse.

Partial lunar eclipse: Some eclipses are only partial. But even a total lunar eclipse goes
through a partial phase on either side of totality. During the partial phase, the sun, Earth
and moon are not quite perfectly aligned, and Earth's shadow appears to take a bite out of
the moon.

"What people see from Earth during a partial lunar eclipse depends on how the sun, Earth
and moon are lined up," according to NASA.

Penumbral lunar eclipse: This is the least interesting type of eclipse, because the moon is in
Earth's faint outer (penumbral) shadow. Unless you're a seasoned skywatcher, you likely
won't notice the effect, in which the moon is subtly shaded by Earth's shadow.
"The outer part of Earth's penumbra is so pale that you won't notice anything until the
moon's edge has slid at least halfway in," Alan MacRobert, a senior editor at Sky &
Telescope magazine, said in a statement.

The blood-red moon

The moon may turn red or coppery colored during the total portion of an eclipse. The red
moon is possible because while the moon is in total shadow, some light from the sun passes
through Earth's atmosphere and is bent toward the moon. While other colors in the
spectrum are blocked and scattered by Earth's atmosphere, red light tends to make it
through easier. The effect is to cast all the planet's sunrises and sunsets on the moon.

"The exact color that the moon appears depends on the amount of dust and clouds in the
atmosphere," according to NASA scientists. "If there are extra particles in the atmosphere,
from say a recent volcanic eruption, the moon will appear a darker shade of red."

Christopher Columbus leveraged a blood-red eclipse in 1504 to frighten natives on Jamaica

into feeding him and his crew. It was on Columbus' fourth and final voyage to the New
World. An epidemic of shipworms ate holes in the ships of his fleet; Columbus' was forced
to abandon two ships. He then beached his last two on Jamaica on June 25, 1503. The
natives welcomed the castaways and fed them. But after six months, Columbus' crew
mutinied, and robbed and murdered some of the Jamaicans, who had grown weary of
feeding the crew.

Columbus had an almanac that foretold a lunar eclipse on Feb. 29, 1504. He met the local
chief, and told him the Christian god was angry with his people for no longer supplying food.
Columbus said to expect a sign of God's displeasure three nights later, when he would make
the full moon appear "inflamed with wrath." When the blood-red moon came to pass, the
natives were terrified and "with great howling and lamentation came running from every
direction to the ships laden with provisions," according to an account by Columbus' son.

Just before the total phase of the eclipse was about to end, Columbus said God had
pardoned the natives and would bring the moon back. The crew was well fed until help
arrived in November and Columbus and his men sailed back to Spain.