<p><strong>A partially eclipsed <a href="http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/full-moon-article.html">full moon</a> hangs in the evening sky over Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday during the start of a total lunar eclipse. The sight heralded the <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/06/110614-lunar-eclipse-moon-longest-darkest-red-space-science/">longest and deepest total lunar eclipse</a> seen in more than a decade. </strong></p><p>"The path that the moon is taking through Earth's shadow is almost directly through [the shadow's] center, making for the longest possible path and so the longest duration," said Ben Burress, staff astronomer at the<a href="http://www.chabotspace.org/index.htm"> Chabot Space &amp; Science Center</a> in Oakland, California.</p><p>Earth's shadow started to darken the moon around 18:22 universal time, or UT (2:22 p.m. eastern time). The period when the moon is completely engulfed in Earth's shadow—known as totality—began at 19:22 UT and lasted for almost two hours.</p><p>"The last eclipse that was as long as this one was in 2000, while the next won't be until 2018, so this makes it a somewhat rare event."</p><p>(<a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/submit">Submit your June 15 lunar eclipse pictures</a> and we may run them on National Geographic News. Be sure to use the word "eclipse.")</p><p><em>—With reporting by Andrew Fazekas</em></p>