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Moon Math

Tuesday, December 21, at 1:32 a.m. eastern time, something remarkable happened in the skies above North America. No, not a visit from aliens! There was a visible total lunar eclipse on the same night as the winter solstice, the first time this has happened above the U.S. since 1638! Maybe you're thinking, "A what happened when?" A lunar eclipse is when Earth's shadow blocks our view of the Moon. And a total eclipse is when it totally blocks it! The winter solstice marks the first day of winter—and the longest night of the year. The next time these events occur on the same day won't happen till 2094.

The total eclipse began at 2:41 a.m. eastern time and lasted 72 minutes. At what time did it end?

The eclipse ended at 3:53 a.m. eastern time. During the 72-minute full eclipse, many people were able to see a faint red glow from the moon's face.

The caption contest for this photo is closed.