Masked in Shadows

Gently rising above the horizon the Moon emerges, thinly veiled in the colors of Earth’s atmosphere. Although not apparent at first, a lunar eclipse is in the works; as the Moon glides “behind” the Earth, the Sun casts the shadow of Earth on the lunar surface. A lunar eclipse can last for several hours, and can be seen from anywhere on Earth where the Moon is above the horizon. This image was captured on 20 January 2019 from a high mountainous perch where Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, operated by NSF NOIRLab, is located in Hawai‘i. Being near the summit enabled not only a perfect view of this lunar eclipse, but also the bluish shadow of Maunakea beneath.