On March 14, a total lunar eclipse occurred as the Full Moon moved across the Earth's shadow. This astronomical event (Latin: “syzygy”) was observed from the lunar surface as a solar eclipse. The “Blue Ghost” lander, located in the Sea of Depressions (Latin: “Mare Crisium”) region of the Moon, captured this impressive image at 3:30 a.m. CDT, just as the Sun reappeared from behind the Earth.

From the lunar perspective, the diamond ring effect, familiar to those watching the eclipse from Earth, was also observed here. Since the Earth appears about four times larger than the Sun from the lunar surface, the inner solar corona, normally visible from Earth during a total solar eclipse, was hidden behind the Earth. However, the light scattered by the Earth's dense atmosphere created a bright ring of sunlight around our planet.

March 19, 2025 Astronomy Photo of the Day (NASA APOD)

Image Source: Firefly Aerospace