Being a Concretor I'm up around 4:30 each day and usually pop out on my front deck before work because more often than night the stars aren't hidden by clouds at that our. This morning the moon was huuuuge and bright orange I didn't want to leave for work I wish I had time to get the scope out. Just enjoying it with my eyes was amazing the size seemed three times bigger than normal. Can anyone tell me what makes it appear bright orange?
This is typically caused by dust in the atmosphere. On a dust night it will appear yellow/orange. Also, if it is lower to the horizon it will go orange for the same reason.
The reason the sky is blue is due to the shorter wavelengths being scattered in the atmosphere. At the horizon there is more atmosphere for the light to pass through so there is even more scattering, this is what causes sunrises and sunsets. The same principle also goes for the moon.
Sorry Colin but you're wrong.
It's the Earth's rotation that causes Sunrises and Sunsets.
What? That's just silly! We're on the back of a Giant Turtle that swims through space. SOMEBODY certainly wasn't paying attention at the Unseen University
