Remember the "moon cheese" myth? The moon looks kind of like cheese, white like mozzarella, yellow like american and orange for cheddar! We had a big, cheddar cheese moon last night and probably tonight. What's up with that? For sure the moon is not made of cheese! In fact the moon is made of light colored silica and dark volcanic lakes called "mares". I know for sure there isn't a man on the moon with colored light bulbs to change the appearance of the moon. So what makes the moon orange? Well, its all about our viewing angle from the Earth and the condition of our atmosphere. If our atmosphere is full of smoke, pollution, dust, water vapor and other molecules this really makes a difference in what we see. Just like clouds cover the moon, the atmosphere can be filled with ash, dust, methane, carbon and other stuff. This is what makes the moon look different colors. We are looking through an atmosphere that isn't "pure". Sometimes the moon changes color when it climbs high into the sky and then lowers. Near the horizon the moon may appear the most brilliant color because that is where the atmosphere is the thickest. The Earth's atmosphere is filled with particles that will scatter and absorb light. The last few weeks there have been many wildfires in Utah, Oregon, Washington, California, and Idaho. Our atmosphere is loaded with little particles of everything that has risen with the smoke from all these fires.
Don't forget to check the moon tonight! It's very sad we are having all these fires and lots of smoke to rile up our allergies, but the moon is gorgeous and worth the look!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |