Astronomy Question: Bad Moon Rising
http://www.dearastronomer.com/
Heather in Oklahoma asks:
Why does the moon look red sometimes?
Good question Heather!
If you notice, this happens when the moon is very close to the horizon. This is the same phenomenon as the brilliant colors of a sunset.
Basically, when the moon (or sun) is close to the horizon, the light has to travel through more of the atmosphere than when it is directly overhead. Our atmosphere scatters blue light, so when an object is closer to the horizon, it appears redder.
If you want to know more about the science, much as I hate citing wikipedia,
they have a great article on Rayleigh Scattering: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering
Ray Sanders is a Sci-Fi geek, astronomer and blogger. Currently researching variable stars at Arizona State University, he writes for Universe Today, The Planetary Society blog, and his own blog, Dear Astronomer
2012-12-04 08:05:05
Source: http://www.dearastronomer.com/2010/11/09/bad-moon-rising/
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