Cloud cover
June 16, 2011
Views from Germany of the total lunar eclipse Wednesday night were obscured by cloud cover, leaving astronomy enthusiasts to resort to live Internet feeds to observe the phenomenon.
In southern Germany, some sky watchers managed to catch the eclipse through holes in the cloud cover, according to the German Weather Service based in Offenbach, but much of the country was completely covered.
The "totality" of the lunar eclipse, when the moon's face is completely covered by the earth's shadow, ran from 9:22 p.m. to 11:02 p.m., Central European Time. It was the longest total eclipse of its kind in more than 10 years.
Observers in other countries had more luck, with live broadcasts from Israel and the United Arab Emirates showing a glimmering dark red moon. The color comes from refracted sunlight that passes through the earth's atmosphere.
Germany's next chance to see a total lunar eclipse comes in 2015. A total lunar eclipse will take place on December 10 of this year, but the totality will occur only after the moon sets in German skies.
Author: Andrew Bowen (AFP, dpa)
Editor: Michael Lawton