Last June, there was a total eclipse of the Moon, and I posted some really nice pictures of it (see Related Posts, below). Later, I saw one that was truly amazing. Seriously, it doesn't get much better than this:

Holy wow! [Click to penumbrenate.] That picture, by Chris Kotsiopoulos, is clearly a once-in-a-lifetime shot. He took it from Ikaria, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. He thought he was going to miss the eclipse due to a thunderstorm, but the clouds parted for a few minutes right in the middle of the eclipse, and he got his shot. You can see the Moon, dull red, floating in the sky to the right of center. The multiple lightning strikes are, well, striking. As someone who has tried to take pictures like this many times, what's even more remarkable to me is that this was a 28 second exposure! That didn't allow him too many chances to get this shot right. The next lunar eclipse is on December 10, 2011, and will be visible to Asia and Australia. I haven't checked it for accuracy, because yikes, but wikipedia has a list of all lunar eclipses in the 21st century, with maps! The one in August 2036 is particularly long. Mark your calendar.

Credit: Chris Kotsiopoulos, used with permission. Tip o' the lens cap to Earth Science Picture of the Day.

Related posts: - Time lapsed: the Moon plunges into shadow - Incredible lunar eclipse floats near the Lagoon - In the shadow of the Earth - My new favorite lunar eclipse image