The Winter Solstice Total Lunar Eclipse of December 21, 2010 - (imaged using a Canon 5D Mark II DSLR and a Takahashi TOA-130 Refractor with 1.5 Extender) It is a rare occasion when a total lunar eclipse occurs on the same day as the Winter Solstice (the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere). The last time this event happened was 372 years ago on December 21, 1638 and it won't happen again until the year 2094. The moon appeared very high in the sky for this eclipse as the solstice marks the time when Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun. The next total lunar eclipse visible from North America will occur on April 15, 2014. Click here for more information on this and other eclipses.