answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Probably the atmosphere acts as a kind of prism such that frequencies toward the 'red' end of the spectrum get bent and more focused toward the moon. Earth's gravitational field may add to this phenomenon as well by bending the red end of the spectrum inward.

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

It is all because of REFRACTION!!! Refraction is the bending of light. So you know

when it rains and it has sunlight? That makes a rainbow. Red,orange,yellow,green,blue,violet. You see, blue is the color that is being bent the most. Red is the one that is bent away. That's what happened in space. There was an amazing Lunar eclispe on December 21, 2010. So that's why the moon turn a redish or orange color.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

6y ago

I have seen this phenomenon twice, once in Italy and once in England.

Some people call it "Blood on the Moon".

It happens during a moon (lunar) eclipse of the Sun and I believe it to be due to the Moon interfering with the light from the Sun and not letting all the colours of which white light is composed pass to Earth.
During a lunar eclipse, the moon's illumination by the sun is blocked by the earth. The blocked light goes through the earth's atmosphere and is diffused and refracted by it. The outline of the shadow is not sharp and defined like when the moon causes a solar eclipse, nor is it completely dark. The atmosphere and the clouds, gasses and pollutants in it cause a shift towards the red end of the spectrum. These four factors affect how dark and red the shadow is.

That is the basic and simple explanation. Rare is the time that the moon is practically invisible during a lunar eclipse. Other times the moon can take on some very deep or bright reddish shades.
That is beautiful, isn't it? Light toward the red end of the spectrum bends most readily as it passes by earth's gravitational field. If you were to observe a lunar eclipse from the center of the moon' earth-side face, you would see a red ring surrounding the black earth as it passes over the sun. I'm sure that future explorers who will observe that will find it one of the most beautiful of natural phenomena.
It's reddish because the sun aligns behind the Earth glowing up the moon; they are awesome to witness.

"Lunar eclipse" means the moon passes through the Earth's shadow (the light comes from the sun). The redness is caused by some sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere on its way to the moon. It's a kind of sunset.
Light passing through the Earth Atmosphere is refracted, red more than blue, and illuminates the lunar surface giving it that reddish tint. It's really a beautiful effect, not always visible depending on atmospheric conditions for the viewer.
the light from the sun is red; this is because the light is reaching ... gradually turn the bright full Moon dark, ... creating a lunar eclipse . ...
Although the Moon is in the Earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse, some light is refracted through the Earth's atmosphere and reaches the Moon. So the shadowed part of the Moon never goes completely dark, but turns various shades of dark red.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

Yes, it frequently does look distinctly reddish. Not "fire-engine" red, but "deep sunset" red.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why does moon turn red in total lunar eclipse?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

Does the moon turn red on the 21st of December 2010?

Yes it will because it always happens on a lunar eclipse


How does a lunar eclipse?

An eclipse occurs on those times when the moon moves into a position of direct alignment with sun and the earth. There are 2 types of eclipse lunar and solar. When the full Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. In this case, the Sun and the Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. If you observe a lunar eclipse (visible only at night at the time of certain full Moons), you'll see the bright lunar disk turn dark sometimes a coppery red color.


Why don't you have a lunar eclipse during every full moon?

The moon orbits the Earth and it is tilted by five degrees to the Earth's ecliptic plane, so that the moon will either be above or below the ecliptic at most full moons, this in turn prevents the moon from entering the Earth's shadow - hence no lunar eclipse.


What causes an eclipes of the moon?

An eclipse occurs at those times when the Moon moves into a position of direct alignment with the Sun and the Earth. There are two basic types of eclipses - lunar and solar. Most people have seen at least one total lunar eclipse, when the full Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. In this case, the Sun and the Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. If you observe a lunar eclipse (visible only at night at the time of certain full Moons), you'll see the bright lunar disk turn dark -- sometimes a coppery red color -- for as long as an hour or more.


What are the solar and lunar eclipses?

Solar and Lunar eclipses only occur when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned. If the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, a solar eclipse occurs, and the moon will cast a shadow on the earth, causing day to suddenly turn dark in a matter of minutes. These are rare occurences. A Lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and Moon, and the effect is that the moon is not lit and doesn't appear in the sky. Hope this helps!


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


What are some Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse Facts?

A solar eclipse is when the moon travels in front of earth blocking out sunlight. On earth we sun the sun as the color black(if it is a full eclipse and we can look at it). Always were sunglasses or other shades to protect your eyes from the sun. A lunar eclipse is when the earth is in front of the moon so the moon does not get sunlight. It is safe to look at when it is red. It is red because of Einstein's theory of relativity that light can bend because of gravity, in this case the sunlight is brushed and curved to turn the moon red


Why does the sky turn dark during total solar eclipse?

The earth gets it's light from the sun. During a total solar eclipse, the moon blocks that light.


Does the sun have a shadow?

Yes. It the earth distorts the light from the sun at first, causing the moon to turn a reddish colour. If it's a good lunar eclipse then the moon will go dark as the earth puts the moon into a shadow.


Why does the sun turn reddish during a lunar eclipse?

The Sun isn't even visible during a lunar eclipse.The Sun isn't even visible during a lunar eclipse.The Sun isn't even visible during a lunar eclipse.The Sun isn't even visible during a lunar eclipse.


Who has been on the moon during a lunar eclipse?

No astronauts have ever been on the moon during a lunar eclipse. The last lunar eclipse occurred on November 8, 2022, and the next one will occur on March 14, 2025. The last time humans were on the moon was in December 1972, and there have been no plans to send astronauts back to the moon since then. However, if astronauts were on the moon during a lunar eclipse, they would see a very different sight than people on Earth. The moon would appear to turn a reddish color as it passed through Earth's shadow. This is because the only light that reaches the moon during a lunar eclipse is sunlight that has been refracted through Earth's atmosphere. The blue light is scattered away by the atmosphere, leaving only the red light to reach the moon. In addition to the reddish moon, astronauts on the moon would also see a ring of light around the Earth. This ring of light is caused by sunlight that is refracted through Earth's atmosphere and then reflected off the moon's surface. The ring of light is often called the "Earthshine". So, while no astronauts have ever been on the moon during a lunar eclipse, they would certainly see a very different and awe-inspiring sight than people on Earth.


Explain how a solar or lunar eclipses occur?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun and darkens the skies. It can be dangerous to look directly at an eclipse as the rays from the Sun send a lot of radiation to viewers on the Earth.A lunar eclipse is when the Earth is between the Sun and Moon and the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon.