Red moom time for full#

That’s because the light is indirect and because the red-colored wavelengths are only a part of what makes up the white light from the sun that the Moon usually receives.

Red moom time for full#

The reddish light projected on the Moon is much dimmer than the full white sunlight the Moon typically reflects back to us. Once again, this is because our heavy atmosphere will scatter away the blue/green light and let the red light go straight through. However, the red light passing through the Earth’s atmosphere does reach the Moon, and is thus reflected off of it.įor those observing from the ground, the change in color will again be most apparent when the Moon appears low in the night sky, just after moonrise or before it’s about to set below the horizon.

At that point, the Moon is no longer being illuminated by the Sun. This happens when the Moon is full and passes into Earth’s shadow (also known as the umbra), which darkens it. Image Credit: NASA/Mars ExplorationĪ third – and dramatic – way to get a red Moon is during a lunar eclipse. Depiction of the Sun’s rays turning the Moon red. When you see a red moon, high up in the sky, it’s probably because there’s a large amount of dust in the air. Once again, these particles tend to scatter blue and green light away, while permitting red light to pass through more easily. A forest fire or volcanic eruption can fill the air with tiny particles that partially obscure light from the Sun and Moon. The second reason for a red Moon is if there’s some kind of particle in the air. When you see a red moon, you’re seeing the red light that wasn’t scattered, but the blue and green light have been scattered away. Red light can pass through the atmosphere and not get scattered much, while light at the blue end of the spectrum is more easily scattered. The Earth’s atmosphere can scatter sunlight, and since moonlight is just scattered sunlight, it can scatter that too. Just like the Sun, light from the Moon has to pass through a larger amount of atmosphere when it’s down near the horizon, compared to when it’s overhead. The most common way to see the Moon turn red is when the Moon is low in the sky, just after moonrise or before it’s about to set below the horizon. There are few situations that can cause a red Moon. But on occasion, it will darken and acquire either a golden, copper, or even rusty-red color. Ordinarily, the Moon appears as it does because it is reflecting light from the Sun. So what really accounts for a “Red Moon?” What causes Earth’s only satellite to turn the color of blood? But of course, the Moon turns red on a semi-regular basis, and the world has yet to drown in fire. According to various Biblical passages, a Blood Moon was thought to be a bad omen. So naturally, when the Moon turned red, people became wary.

Farmers in the past would plant their crops “by the moon”, which meant sowing their seeds in accordance with the Moon’s phases in the hopes of getting a better harvest. To the Romans, staring at a full Moon was thought to drive a person crazy – hence the term “lunatic”. Since the earliest days of recorded history, the Moon has been believed to have a powerful influence over human and animal behavior. But to modern astronomers, a Red Moon is just another fascinating phenomenon that has a scientific explanation. Naturally, there are a number of superstitions associated with this stellar event. But on occasion, the Moon can turn a beautiful and dramatic red, coppery color. On most evenings, the Moon will appear as a bright yellow or white color in the night sky.