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Credit: John Stetson
Explanation:
What's happened to the Moon?
Nothing, although from some locations, February's full moon,
which occurred about two weeks ago, appeared
strangely distorted as it rose.
Visible in particular was a
curiously
inverted image section pinched off
near the horizon,
an effect dubbed the Etruscan vase by the pioneering science fiction writer
Jules Verne for its familiar
shape.
This odd moon image piece was created by moonlight
refracting through an
atmospheric inversion layer on
Earth where cold air was
trapped near the surface.
The photographer also reported that, as the moon rose, a
red rim was faintly
visible on the lower part of the moon, while a
green rim appeared on the top.
Similar to the Sun's famous
green flash, these
effects arise
when the Earth's atmosphere acts like a
prism, sending different colors of light on slightly
different paths.
The above image mosaic has been
horizontally compressed by computer
to fit a standard screen.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Moon - atmosphere
Publications with words: Moon - atmosphere
See also: