Total Eclipse of the Moon

Last night presented an ultra-rare treat for astronomy lovers or just for anyone lucky to be up late at night. Not only was there a total lunar eclipse beginning at about 12:30am EST, but the eclipse coincided with the arrival of the winter solstice for the first time in 372 years. The moon moved into the earth's shadow, causing a lunar eclipse visible to anyone in North America. Relive the magic or check out what you missed.

Shooting from Gainesville, Florida, William Castleman created the above time-lapse video of last night’s eclipse, condensing the lunar action from 1:10 AM EST to 5:03 AM EST into 2 minutes.

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.