Total eclipse paints moon red

A total lunar eclipse in the early hours of Tuesday gave viewers in parts of the world a rare glimpse of what's sometimes called a "blood moon," due to the reddish hue it took on as a result of dust in the atmosphere. Beginning at about 01:55 EDT, the eclipse lasted roughly three and a half hours -- peaking at 03:45 EDT -- and it was visible in North America, South America and Australia, with partial visibility in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe. Lunar eclipses last much longer than solar eclipses do and are safe to view with the naked eye. "While such events are relatively rare, albeit much less so than a total solar eclipse, they are very beautiful to behold," said William Newman, a professor in UCLA's departments of earth, planetary and space sciences, physics & astronomy, and mathematics.