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The orange and red tints that the Sun and Moon sometimes take on are caused by the particles in the Earth's atmosphere.
When light (or more specifically, packets of light called photons) from an astronomical object passes through the Earth's atmosphere, it scatters off of particles in the latter. It turns out that these particles like to scatter blue light more than they do red light; so "bluer" photons (those with shorter wavelengths) tend to get scattered, and "redder" photons (those with longer wavelengths) pass through. So, astronomical objects look redder from Earth than they would from space, because the redder wavelengths from the objects penetrate the atmosphere better than the bluer ones. Incidentally, this is why the sky is blue: blue light from the Sun is scattered in all directions on its way to the Earth.
But how does this explain the occasional redness of the Moon or the Sun? Your son may have noticed that they always occur when the Sun or Moon is close to the horizon. If you think about it, sunlight or moonlight must travel through the maximum amount of atmosphere to get to your eyes when the Sun or Moon is on the horizon (remember that that atmosphere is a sphere around the Earth). So, you expect *more* blue light to be scattered from Sunlight or Moonlight when the Sun or Moon is on the horizon than when it is, say, overhead; this makes the object look redder. In other words, the Sun or Moon tends to look orange or red when it is rising or setting because that's the time when the light has to travel through the most atmosphere to get to you. The effect is exacerbated when there are thin clouds in front or behind the Sun or Moon: the clouds themselves often glow bright pink as well, because they are so good at scattering blue light.
What else can I help you with?
What are and what causes neap tides?
The moon.
Did the moon ever have water?
Yes the moon does have water. it is in the sand. to find it you have to find red sand.
What if the Great Red Spot was on Earth?
if you are on the moon you can see it and the earth would have red sand
What causes the shadow which makes the moon change its shape?
The shadow is caused by the earth blocking the path of the light from the sun casting shadow on the moon. When the earth is not in between the sun and the moon then we have a "full moon."
What is the pull of the moon on earths tidal bulge causing?
The pull of the Moon - and, to a lesser degree, of the Sun - causes "tidal bulges". These bulges of water cause the high tides on Earth. The Moon's gravitational pull on the bulge of water nearest to the Moon, causes the Earth's rotation to very gradually slow down, due to frictional forces. Finally, (because of the need to conserve "angular momentum") it causes the Moon to gradually move away from Earth.
What causes the red moon?
Some people think that the moon is actually turning red but really it's the pollution in the air that's making the moon turn red
Why is a blood moon red?
A blood moon appears red during a total lunar eclipse because the Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight, filtering out shorter wavelengths and allowing longer red wavelengths to reflect onto the moon. This creates a red hue, similar to the color of sunset.
Why does the moon rise red?
The moon can appear red when it is low on the horizon due to scattering of light by particles in the Earth's atmosphere. This scattering causes the shorter blue and green wavelengths to be scattered away, leaving the longer red wavelengths to reach our eyes, giving the moon a reddish appearance.
What real motion of the moon causes the pattern of moon phases?
the rotation of the moon causes the pattern of the moon phase.
Is it a sign when the moon turns red?
A red moon can come from 2 sources. When the full moon rises close to the horizon, it is generally a reddish color because we're looking at it through the smog and pollotion that is in the air. The moon is also a bronze-red color when there is a full lunar eclipse for the exact same reason. The sunlight striking the moon during a total lunar eclipse passes through the earth's atmosphere, which causes the moon to look reddish. If you see a red moon on any other occasion, you might want to consult an eye doctor.
What causes the moon to have seasons?
The moon does not have seasons.
When the moon turns red?
A red moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow on the moon. The moon appears red as the Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight, causing the longer-wavelength red light to reach the moon.
Is Mars known as the red moon or not?
yes it's red moon
What is the light caused during an eclipse?
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks direct sunlight from hitting the Moon. The reason the Moon appears red is because the only light that is reaching the Moon is the light that refracts through Earth's atmosphere. Red has the longest wavelength, so it bends the most. It's the same effect that causes sunsets to appear red.
What causes the changes of the moon phases?
The moon spins
What does the Moon's gravitational pull causes?
sun and the moon
Why is a harvest moon orange?
A harvest moon appears orange because of its position in the sky, which causes its light to pass through more of the Earth's atmosphere. This scattering of light by particles in the atmosphere makes the moon appear orange or red in color.
