Lunar eclipse of December 10, 2011

The longest lunar eclipse in over ten years animated the night sky on December 10. The red hue resulted from the sun's light passing through the earth's atmosphere. Viewers in Asia had the best view of the total eclipse, while those watching in Europe saw part of it at moonrise, and North Americans caught part of it as the moon set. It was not visible in South America or Antarctica. The next total eclipse will occur in 2014. -- Lane Turner (27 photos total)

The moon casts a reddish hue over Lake Pend Oreille during a lunar eclipse as it begins to set behind the Selkirk Mountain Range near Sandpoint, Idaho on December 10, 2011. (Matt Mills McKnight/Reuters)

A composite of 12 pictures shows a full lunar eclipse over the skies in Hefei, China on December 10, 2011. The moon turns red as the shadow falls on it during the eclipse. (Stringer/Reuters) #

Astronomy enthusiasts gather to watch the lunar eclipse in Wuhan, China on December 10, 2011. (Str/AFP/Getty Images) #

A man watches the lunar eclipse using his tablet computer during a total lunar eclipse in Kuala Lumpur on December 10, 2011. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images) #

A lunar eclipse is seen in the sky beside a statue of Buddha in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka on December 10, 2011. (Eranga Jayawardena/AP) #

A partial lunar eclipse is seen from the Roman pillars of the Temple of Hercules in Amman December 2011. (Ali Jarekji/Reuters) #

The earth's shadow falls on the moon as it undergoes a total lunar eclipse viewed through the arch supports of the Sydney Harbor Bridge December 11, 2011. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) #

The earth's shadow falls on the moon as it emerges from a total lunar eclipse above the entrance to a theme park in Sydney on December 11, 2011. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) #

A partial lunar eclipse rises above the Tokyo Tower on December 10, 2011. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images) #

The Earth casts its shadow across the moon during the lunar eclipse in New Delhi on December 10, 2011. (Saurabh Das/AP) #

A full moon lunar eclipse passes over Karachi on December 10, 2011. (Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images) #

Photographers take pictures of the moon during a lunar eclipse over the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge on December 10, 2011 in San Francisco. (Ben Margot/AP) #

A woman uses a telescope at the Sydney Observatory to watch the moon over the Sydney Harbor Bridge during a total lunar eclipse in Sydney on December 11, 2011. (Rob Griffith/AP) #

Israelis look at the full lunar eclipse appearing above the Judean desert from Mount Scopus in Jerusalem on December 10, 2011. (Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images) #

People view the lunar eclipse as it shines above the Hollywood sign at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles December 10, 2011. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP) #

A shooting star darts across the sky during a lunar eclipse over the entrance to Hawkeye Ranch near Geyserville, Calif. on December 10, 2011. (Santa Rosa Press Democrat/AP) #

The earth's shadow falls on the moon above the Bank of China tower in Hong Kong's business district on December 10, 2011. (Soo Hoo Zheyang/Reuters) #

A boy looks through a telescope as he and others observe a lunar eclipse at the Planetarium in Beijing on December 10, 2011. (Andy Wong/AP) #

Stargazers observe a lunar eclipse at the Griffith Observatory in in Los Angeles on December 10, 2011. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP) #

The moon sets above the Golden Gate Bridge during an eclipse on December 10, 2011, in San Francisco. (Frederic Larson/San Francisco Chronicle/AP) #

A total lunar eclipse on December 10, 2011 shines above a tree known as the miracle solitary pine tree in Japan, which survived the March 11 tsunami in Rikuzentakata. (Kyodo/Reuters) #

The partially eclipsed moon rises above Cologne on December 10, 2011. Only the end of the eclipse could be seen in Germany due to the late rise of the moon. (Kaiser Henning/AFP/Getty Images) #

A lunar eclipse shines in the sky over the Swayambhunath stupa, a world heritage site, in Katmandu, Nepal on December 10, 2011. (Binod Joshi/AP) #

A total lunar eclipse shines above a Christmas tree in Seoul on December 10, 2011. (Jo Yong-Hak/Reuters) #

As dawn breaks over the tall ships at the San Diego, Calif. Maritime Museum, the setting moon begins to emerge from Earth's shadow following a total eclipse on December 10, 2011. (Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times/AP) #

A lunar eclipse shines above Turret Arch at Arches National Park on December 10, 2011 near Moab, Utah. (Julie Jacobson/AP) #

An astronomy enthusiast records the lunar eclipse on his computer as he sets his telescope in Wuhan, China on December 10, 2011. (Str/AFP/Getty Images) #

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