Places and Things

"Lightning Eclipse from the Planet of the Goats   Image Credit & Copyright:  Chris Kotsiopoulos  ( GreekSky ) Explanation:  Thunderstorms almost spoiled this view of the spectacular  2011 June 15 total lunar eclipse . Instead, storm clouds parted for 10 minutes during the  total eclipse phase  and  lightning bolts  contributed to the dramatic sky. Captured with a 30-second exposure the scene also inspired one of the more memorable titles (thanks to the astrophotographer) in  APOD's now 22-year history . Of course, the lightning reference clearly makes sense, and the  shadow play  of the dark lunar  eclipse  was  widely viewed  across planet Earth in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.  The picture itself , however, was shot from the Greek island of  Ikaria  at  Pezi . That area is known as "the planet of the  goats " because of the  rough terrain  and strange...