Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 May 15 [2]The featured image shows many images of a full moon as it appears on Earth. The colors of the images are seen to range from red to yellow to brown and blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Colors of the Moon Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Marcella Giulia Pace Explanation: What color is the Moon? It depends on the night. Outside of the Earth's atmosphere, the [5]dark Moon, which shines by reflected sunlight, appears a [6]magnificently brown-tinged gray. Viewed from inside the [7]Earth's atmosphere, though, the moon can appear quite different. The [8]featured image highlights a collection of apparent colors of the full moon documented by one astrophotographer over 10 years from [9]different locations across [10]Italy. A [11]red or yellow colored moon usually indicates a moon seen near the horizon. There, some of the [12]blue light has been scattered away by a long path through the [13]Earth's atmosphere, sometimes laden with fine dust. A [14]blue-colored moon is more rare and can indicate a moon seen through an atmosphere carrying larger dust particles. What created the purple moon is [15]unclear -- it may be a combination of several effects. The last image captures the [16]total lunar eclipse of 2018 July -- where the moon, [17]in Earth's shadow, appeared a [18]faint red -- due to light [19]refracted through [20]air around the [21]Earth. Today there is not only another full moon but a [22]total lunar eclipse visible to observers in [23]North and [24]South America -- an occurrence that may lead to some [25]unexpected lunar colorings. Tomorrow's picture: alien castle rocks __________________________________________________________________ [26]< | [27]Archive | [28]Submissions | [29]Index | [30]Search | [31]Calendar | [32]RSS | [33]Education | [34]About APOD | [35]Discuss | [36]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell ([40]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [41]Specific rights apply. [42]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC & [46]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2205/MoonColors_Pace_960.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://greenflash.photo/about-me/ 5. https://www.universetoday.com/19981/moon-albedo/ 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031109.html 7. https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2919/earths-atmosphere-a-multi-layered-cake/ 8. https://greenflash.photo/greenflash-gallery/greenflash-gallery/portfolio/colors-of-the-moon/ 9. https://youtu.be/G0EUqGhYZ6Y 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy 11. http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/46-our-solar-system/the-moon/observing-the-moon/142-why-are-the-moon-and-sun-sometimes-orange-or-red-beginner 12. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en/ 13. https://scied.ucar.edu/shortcontent/earths-atmosphere 14. https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/astronomy/item/what-is-a-blue-moon-is-it-ever-really-blue/ 15. https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn-origin-etr.akc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/29083523/GettyImages-157531381-1024x746.jpg 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190120.html 17. https://sservi.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/si_lunar-eclipse_geometry.jpg 18. https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/why-does-moon-look-red-lunar-eclipse.html 19. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/49-refraction-of-light 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220417.html 21. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/overview/ 22. https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2022-may-16 23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America 24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_America 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211201.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220514.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 35. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220515 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220516.html 37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 44. https://www.nasa.gov/ 45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 46. http://www.mtu.edu/