Did you see the lunar eclipse Wednesday morning? Check out these stunning images and find out why it gets the nickname 'blood moon.' VPC
A lunar eclipse appears behind a gargoyle atop the old red Dallas County Courthouse early Wednesday morning, Oct. 8, 2014.(Photo: Tom Fox, AP)
For anyone in the right place at the right time Wednesday, a total lunar eclipse that produced a gorgeous "blood moon" was a treat indeed.
In Australia, a prime viewing spot, whoops of joy went up at the Sydney Observatory as the moon made a brief appearance.
"Very spectacular," Sydney Observatory astronomer Geoff Wyatt said. "The cloud certainly got in the way, but we've seen it during totality and of course that's always the highlight --- to see that lovely, reddish-brown color."
In China, not so much. Amateur astronomers were stymied by a choking blanket of air pollution covered Beijing and at least five nearby provinces.
Gallery: A look at the 'blood' moon
In North America, viewers in the Midwest and West Coast got a longer glimpse of the "blood moon" phenomenon, which occurs during a total eclipse when the sun's rays -- largely blocked by the earth -- are refracted in the earth's atmosphere and cast a red glow on the lunar surface.
It occurs as the moon is setting and the sun rising. On the East coast, the timing on Wednesday cut it a bit close, with the setting moon quickly disappearing after the total eclipse.
Farther West, viewers were able to see the rising sun and the partially eclipsed moon in the sky at the same time. Hawaii, the Pacific, Australia, Japan and far eastern Asia got a spectacular view of the entire eclipse and the rust-colored moon.
While parts of China had to fight the pollution, at least some Chinese residents had a shot at it. Europe, the Mideast and Africa were stuck on the wrong side of the world and shut out completely.
Except on the Internet, where everyone was in the right place at the right time all night.
A lunar eclipse created a majestic 'blood moon' that could be seen from coast to coast in the USA early Wednesday morning where there were clear skies. Watch the whole eclipse in less than a minute in this time-lapsed video. VPC
Calum MacLeod reported from Beijing; Doug Stanglin from McLean, Va. Contributing: Associated Press
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