The total lunar eclipse of September 1996disappointed many observers in North America whowere cursed with cloudy skies.However, th MidcourseSpace Experiment (MSX) satellite hada spectacular view from Earth orbit an SPIRIT III,an onboard infrared telescope, was used torepeatedly image the moo during the eclipse.Above is one ofthe images taken during the 70 minute totality, the Moon completel immersed inthe Earth's shadow.Infrared ligh has wavelengthslonger than visible light - human's can not see it but feel it as heat.The bright spots correspond to the warm areas on thelunar surface, dark areas are cooler.The brightest spot below and left of center is th crater Tycho,the dark region at the upper right i the Mare Crisium.The series of SPIRIT III images allow the determination of coolingrates for geologically different areas, exploring the physical propertie of the Moon's surface.
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