OBSERVING SCIENCE by Anthony Mallama Understanding Lunar Eclipses Celestial geometry and Earth's atmosphere combine to create one of the night sky's most spectacular sights. UMBRAL DELIGHT This composite photo shows the November 19, 2021, near-miss partial lunar eclipse. During this event, 97% of the Moon was immersed in Earth's dark, umbral shadow at maximum eclipse. This circumstance presented a rare opportunity to capture a series of images that neatly show the umbra. 34 NOVEMBER 2022 * SKY & TELESCOPE