THE FLC OF AN MLG RPTED THAT; SHORTLY AFTER CLBING THROUGH CLOUD TOPS; THEY BECAME SO MESMERIZED BY A LUNAR ECLIPSE THAT THEY OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT. THE ALT ALERTER SOUNDED ALERTING THE FLC TO RETURN TO THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

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I WAS FLYING AN ACR FLT FROM MSP TO CMH. WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO FL330. WHILE STILL IN THE CLOUDS I HEARD A XMISSION; 'THERE IS A VERY IMPRESSIVE LUNAR ECLIPSE GOING ON.' WE CAME OUT TOP OF THE CLOUDS AROUND FL280. THERE IT WAS IN THE E DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US; A FULL LUNAR ECLIPSE. THERE WAS JUST A SLIVER OF THE MOON FORMING A CRESCENT LIT BY THE SUN AT THE VERY BOTTOM. THE TOTALITY WAS JUST OVER AS WE FIRST SPOTTED IT; HOWEVER; IT WAS STILL IMPRESSIVE. I COULD SEE THE DIM GLOW OF THE 99 PERCENT OF THE REMAINDER OF THE DISK OF THE MOON THAT WAS LIT BY THE EARTH SHINE. I EXPLAINED TO MY FO THAT; EVEN THOUGH THE SUN IS NOT SHINING ON THE MOON; YOU COULD STILL SEE DISK BECAUSE OF EARTH SHINE (THE LIGHT FROM THE SUN REFLECTED OFF THE EARTH THEN GOING TO THE MOON; GIVING IT AN EERIE CAST). IN THE PAST; ONLY ON THE GND HAVE I SEEN INSIGNIFICANT PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSES. THE SPLENDOR OF SEEING THIS EVENT; A TOTAL ECLIPSE; AT ALT ON A SMOOTH NIGHT WITH A LAYER OF CLOUDS BELOW US IS UNDESCRIBABLE. I WAS MESMERIZED. 'ALT!' I HEARD MY FO'S VOICE CRY. I LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER AND SAW THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO CLB THROUGH FL340. I CHKED MY FO'S ALTIMETER TO CONFIRM; AND SAW THE YELLOW LIGHT ON THE ALT ALERTER. I HURRIEDLY BUT GENTLY LOWERED THE NOSE AND PULLED OFF SOME PWR TO RETURN TO FL330. WE HEARD SEVERAL COMS BTWN CTR AND OTHER ACFT. AS WE PASSED THROUGH FL331 IN LEVELING OFF FOR FL330 WE HEARD CTR SAY OUR COMPANY NAME. THE XMISSION STOPPED AT THAT. LATER WE HEARD OTHER CTR AND ACFT XMISSIONS. THEN LATER WE WERE CLRED TO THE NEXT FREQ. I LEARNED THAT MESMERIZING AND FLYING DO NOT GO WELL TOGETHER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 332528: THE CALLS WERE MADE OF 2000 FT TO GO AND 1000 FT TO GO. WHEN THE ALT ALERTER WENT OFF WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 33500 FT. NO ONE VISIBLE ON TCASII AND CTLR DID NOT COMMENT ON DEV.