(CNN) —
Total lunar eclipse gives heavenly show
By Ed Payne, CNN
December 21, 2010 7:37 a.m. EST

The total lunar eclipse lasted about three and a half hours, starting as a partial eclipse about 1:33 a.m. ET and finishing at 5:01 a.m. ET, according to NASA.
As a coincidence, the eclipse fell on the same date as the 2010 winter solstice. The last lunar eclipse to happen on the day of the winter solstice was in 1638.
“For eclipse watchers, this means that the moon will appear very high in the night sky, as the solstice marks the time when Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun,” NASA said.

The most recent lunar eclipse occurred June 26.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth lines up between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun’s rays and casting its shadow on the moon, according to NASA. As the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, it appears to change color, turning from gray to orange or deep red.
The new color stems from indirect sunlight that passes through Earth’s atmosphere and casts a glow on the moon, NASA said.
“Our atmosphere filters out most of the blue colored light, leaving the red and orange hues,” the agency said.

Lunar eclipses differ from their solar counterparts, as no special equipment is needed for viewing.

Tuesday was the last chance for those in the continental United States to see a total lunar ecllipse until April 15, 2014, according to NASA.

CNN’s Emmanuella Grinberg contributed to this report.

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.

Time lapse video of Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse on December 21, 2010 from 1:10 AM EST (6:10 GMT) to 5:03 AM EST (10:03 GMT) from Gainesville Florida. Music is Claude Debussy Nocturnes: Sirènes.