THE sun, moon and the Earth aligned last night to create a rare lunar eclipse coinciding with the southern hemisphere's summer solstice.
This spectacular event was the first time the southern summer and northern hemispehere's winter solstice had occurred simultaneously in almost four centuries.The last time this occurred was in 1638.The best view had been expected in Brisbane, with a full lunar eclipse lasting 13 minutes from 6.40pm (AEDT), but cloud cover and bad weather hindered much of the view for star-gazers.
But lucky Sydney and Canberra residents were treated to a spectacular partial eclipse later in the evening, as clear skies allowed for a 45-minute view of the shadowed moon.All states except Western Australia were able to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
Meanwhile across America and Europe, people were greeted with the celestial treat in the early hours of the morning as a total lunar eclipse transformed the moon to blood-red.
The eclipse gave the moon a blood-red hue as it moved through the Earth's shadow.Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth lines up between the sun and the moon, blocking its rays to the moon. ~Daily Telegraph
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