Lunar Eclipse in 2010 falls on winter solstice (VIDEO)

The 2010 lunar eclipse was set for the pre-dawn hours of December 21st. Blog Post's Melissa Bell previewed the eclipse:

This will be the first and only total lunar eclipse of 2010 and next year's lunar eclipses will not be as viewable from North America. For the winter-weary, NASA has a list of livestreaming options, so you can still see the moon, only from an indoor vantage point. Everyone else brave enough to weather the cold, howl away.

The partial eclipse will begin at 1:33 a.m. Eastern, and the total eclipse will last between 2:41 a.m and 3:53 a.m. The partial eclipse will end at 5:01 a.m. (See a graphic of the phases of the eclipse here). Thanks to the confluence with the winter solstice, the moon will appear at the highest peak in the sky, affording better views for all would-be astronomers (and unlike solar eclipses, you can watch the moon with your bare eyes).

Watch video of the 2010 lunar eclipse here

The 2010 lunar eclipse came on the winter solstice, an event which does not happen often, as Martin Weil and Debbi Wilgoren reported:

There are not many days like Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. Take it from people who know: astronomers. There was maybe one day like this Tuesday in the past 2,000 years.

The total eclipse of the moon, which delighted skywatchers in the pre-dawn hours, will be followed later in the day by the arrival of the winter solstice. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the sun's rays from the face of the moon. The moon is then fully in the shadow cast in space by the Earth.

In a clear, cold sky over Washington, the full moon slowly slipped into shadow starting just after 1:30 a.m. People gathered at the Washington Monument, along the George Washington Parkway and at other prime viewing spots - or on their decks and in their backyards - to watch as its bright white glow gave way to a coppery, luminescent orange. Scattered across the rest of the night sky, the stars appeared brighter than usual in contrast.

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