Brief eclipse causes 'blood moon' in morning sky

A total lunar eclipse is observed above cherry blossoms in Shiraishi city, Miyagi prefecture, northeastern Japan, Saturday, April 4, 2015. (AP /Kyodo News)

An eerie blood moon hung over the western horizon Saturday morning, the result of the century’s shortest total lunar eclipse.

In eastern Canada, a partial eclipse was visible starting at about 6:15 a.m. ET, as the moon began to move into the Earth’s shadow.

By 7:58 ET, the moon was completely in the Earth’s shadow, causing it to appear red in the sky over Western Canada and the United States. NASA calculated this phase, the total eclipse, lasted about five minutes, making it the shortest total lunar eclipse of the century.

Later, viewers in Asia could later see a partial eclipse, as the moon journeyed out of the Earth’s shadow.

Blood moons occur when the moon moves completely into the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow. When this happens, sunlight cannot directly hit the moon because the Earth is in the way.

However, indirect sunlight does reach the moon after refracting through the Earth’s atmosphere. Blue light is filtered out in the atmosphere, making the moon appear a rusty red.

The next total lunar eclipse will happen Sept. 28.