>I think the shot I sent you was around 9:30 PM Eastern. At 10:30 it was still a clear sky, but the moon wasn't red.
>Well, I'm all confused. I thought the red was from the preumba. If the moon was in our total shadow, then I don't see how any light red or not got to it. Anyway, reguardless of how it happens, it didn't happen in my sky at the first half. I watched the whole time and the red was only at the very end for me with the clouds in the way.
>
>If there is anyone who can explain why some see red and some don't, or why the first part wouldn't be red, but the second half is, I be interested in knowing.
>
>Well, I'll have to read up on this, but if somehow our atmosphere bends the light to hit the moon while it should be in our shadow, that would explain it. But, you would think I would have heard that before.



actually you're close, the earth gravity field actually bends the light. it is correct that the moon was completely in our shadow, but because of this 'bending' of light the moon still gets some 'rest' light (otherwise we could not see it in an eclipse). there is also a small amount of light from our cities which gets reflected from the moon (but a VERY small amount)

the coloration occurs because the bended light goes partially through our atmosphare, and gets 'filtered'. this is also why scientists uses those times (lunar exclipse) to study how much polution is in our atmosphare. different colorations/strength therof have different meanings.