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In this collage of the Jan 21, 2019 total lunar eclipse, images of the moon captured at different stages of the eclipse have been positioned at their correct location (and rotational angle) in the sky. In an accurately-plotted time-lapse like this, the actual shadow of Earth becomes quite easily visible, as the series of partially-eclipsed moons acts like a "screen" in the sky onto which the shadow is cast.

From this image it is apparent that the path of the moon, which moved from right to left (in this north-up view) during the eclipse, was not through the center of the Earth's umbra but, rather, fairly close to its north edge. The fact that the moon's path was offset from the center of the shadow is the reason why the moon wasn't evenly lit even at the point of maximum eclipse. The blue coloration near the top edge of the moon, which only appeared around halfway between start or end of totality and maximum eclipse, is caused by light passing through the ozone layer of Earth's atmosphere.