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Full Moon Clouds
Particles in the atmosphere can obscure clear views of the Moon from Earth, producing interesting optical effects. It is probably more noticeable during a full moon, but it can happen at any phase in the lunar cycle.
As we marvel at the luminous beauty of a full moon, it's fascinating to consider the various atmospheric phenomena that can enhance or obscure our lunar observations. These occurrences not only enrich the visual spectacle with their unique effects but also connect us to the natural world in profound ways. Understanding these phenomena deepens our appreciation for the moon's presence in our night sky and the intricate interplay between celestial and atmospheric dynamics.
The first type is a Moon Ring, which is a circle that encompasses the entire moon. This forms when moonlight is refracted by ice crystals in the atmosphere. All ice crystals are approximately the same size, so the ring does not differ much in shape. Moon Rings are rumored to signify that bad weather is ahead. This superstition has some basis in reality though since the ice crystals signify high altitude cirrus clouds, which in turn predict a warm pressure system coming in one or two days. And a warm pressure system means a storm.
Moon Dogs are also caused by interference in the upper atmosphere, this time producing bursts of red and blue light on both sides of the Moon. Clouds in the atmosphere at an altitude of about 30,000 feet are full of ice crystals, which refract the moonlight again and cause a bright spot in the Moon Ring. These are not as common phenomenon because it requires an extremely bright and therefore Full moon to produce the spots. The color is not as easily distinguishable in Moon Dogs as it is in the analogous Sun Dogs because the light at night is not bright enough to activate the cone cells in human eyes.
A Moon Corona is similar to Moon Rings, but they are much smaller in size. They are caused by high, thin clouds in the atmosphere. The corona is typically only a couple of degrees in diameter, closely covering the moon. Once again, colors are produced, but it is harder for the human eye to detect color at night.
Moon Pillars, in contrast, are formed by reflecting light off of ice crystals. Refracted light produces colored light rays, but reflected light retains the color of the light source. When the moon is near the horizon, either rising or setting, a shaft of white light appears above and below the moon.
The nighttime counterpart to Rainbows are Moon Bows. There is less light coming from the Moon than directly from the Sun, so Moon Bows only have a hint of color and are less defined. They form in the same way though, from light hitting rain drops that act as prisms.
If the Earth had no atmosphere, the moon and stars would appear crisp and clear at all times. On good viewing nights, the atmosphere has little to block a clear sight of the sky. On other nights, ice crystals or clouds reflect moonlight and cause strange formations of light. Clouds in the upper atmosphere, which may or may not even be visible from the perspective of Earth, are a common reason for these strange bursts of moonlight.
For How Long Does A Full Moon Last
Particles in the atmosphere can obscure clear views of the Moon from Earth, producing interesting optical effects. It is probably more noticeable during a full moon, but it can happen at any phase in the lunar cycle.
The first type is a Moon Ring, which is a circle that encompasses the entire moon. This forms when moonlight is refracted by ice crystals in the atmosphere. All ice crystals are approximately the same size, so the ring does not differ much in shape. Moon Rings are rumored to signify that bad weather is ahead. This superstition has some basis in reality though since the ice crystals signify high altitude cirrus clouds, which in turn predict a warm pressure system coming in one or two days. And a warm pressure system means a storm.
Moon Dogs are also caused by interference in the upper atmosphere, this time producing bursts of red and blue light on both sides of the Moon. Clouds in the atmosphere at an altitude of about 30,000 feet are full of ice crystals, which refract the moonlight again and cause a bright spot in the Moon Ring. These are not as common phenomenon because it requires an extremely bright and therefore Full moon to produce the spots. The color is not as easily distinguishable in Moon Dogs as it is in the analogous Sun Dogs because the light at night is not bright enough to activate the cone cells in human eyes.
A Moon Corona is similar to Moon Rings, but they are much smaller in size. They are caused by high, thin clouds in the atmosphere. The corona is typically only a couple of degrees in diameter, closely covering the moon. Once again, colors are produced, but it is harder for the human eye to detect color at night.
Moon Pillars, in contrast, are formed by reflecting light off of ice crystals. Refracted light produces colored light rays, but reflected light retains the color of the light source. When the moon is near the horizon, either rising or setting, a shaft of white light appears above and below the moon.
The nighttime counterpart to Rainbows are Moon Bows. There is less light coming from the Moon than directly from the Sun, so Moon Bows only have a hint of color and are less defined. They form in the same way though, from light hitting rain drops that act as prisms.
If the Earth had no atmosphere, the moon and stars would appear crisp and clear at all times. On good viewing nights, the atmosphere has little to block a clear sight of the sky. On other nights, ice crystals or clouds reflect moonlight and cause strange formations of light. Clouds in the upper atmosphere, which may or may not even be visible from the perspective of Earth, are a common reason for these strange bursts of moonlight.
Are All Full Moons The Same Size?
The Moon cannot change in size, but the way that it appears from Earth can vary. The Moon illusion, a phenomenon where the Moon appears bigger because it is lower on the horizon than one that is higher up in the sky, is one example. The same is true of constellations. A constellation that is viewed low in the sky will appear larger than one that is high in the sky. The actual size does not vary, but it appears to be different.
For one example, the Harvest moon is thought to be bigger, brighter, and more colorful than other Full moons, but is simply the moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. An equinox happens twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun. At this moment in time, the Sun can be observed directly overhead from the equator. An equinox happens at one moment in time, but the coinciding day, termed an equilux, is when sunrise and sunset are closest to being exactly 12 hours apart.
Although very rare, when a full moon happens on the same night as an autumnal equinox, it is called a Super Harvest Moon. The Moon generally rises about 50 minutes later each day, but during the time of the Harvest moon and the Hunter’s moon, the moon rises only 30 minutes later each successive night. The result is that the Moon rises shortly after sunset, is lower on the horizon, and changes in color. All celestial bodies appear reddish in color when they are low on the horizon because the light must pass through more atmospheric particles than when overhead. The Harvest moon was given its name because the supposed larger size and bright color allowed farmers to continue to work even after the Sun had set.
Finally, the Moon’s orbit is egg-shaped, so there are times when the Moon is at its shortest distance from Earth, at perigee, and also times when it is at its furthest from Earth, at apogee. The orbit of the Moon does change slightly though, so each perigee is not the same distance from Earth every time. On March 11, 2011, the affectionately called “Supermoon” lit up the night sky. The Moon was 221,566 miles from Earth, its closest approach since 1993. It was forecasted to look about 20% brighter and 15% bigger than a typical full moon, but these differences wouldn’t actually seem noticeable with the naked eye. The total amount of light was a little greater, so the illumination of the ground would be more than most nights, but experts guessed that a casual observer would not particularly notice. There are a number of varying factors such as the Moon’s orbit, the proximity to Earth, and the time of rising that can influence how the Moon appears from Earth, but these differences are small.
Full Moon Video
Believe it or not, this up close and personal look at the surface of the moon was taken from the backyard of an astronomy enthusiast in Nottingham, UK, with only the help of a webcam and a telescope.
Another filmographer zooms in to show the deep craters on the moon visible through his telescope.
This time-lapse sequence films the progress of a very full moon in January of 2011.
Clouds in the atmosphere add a spooky glow to this video of the moon, also taken in January of 2011.
To get the whole picture of how the moon orbits, NASA and Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio created this animation video that shows the Moon throughout the entire year of 2011. With an entire year packed into 2 and a half minutes, this time lapse video allows the daily alterations of the moon’s orientation, illumination, and orbit to be seen clearly. This new technology is available due to measurements made by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, or LOLA, that is aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The Full Moon Verses The New Moon
The full moon and new moon differ in several ways. Many people wonder what the difference is between a full moon and a new moon.
With a full moon - you are seeing the entire moon in its brightest light. The moon is so bright because its position allows it to be completely lit by the sun.
The full moon will come on the 15th day of the lunar month. The new moon will come on the first day of the lunar month. The lunar month has approximately 29.5 days in it; which in effect means that we will have 1 full moon every 29.5 days.
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