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Credit & Copyright: Robert Fedez
Explanation:
The Moon is normally seen in subtle shades of grey or
gold.
But small, measurable
color differences have been
greatly exaggerated to make this telescopic, multicolored,
moonscape captured during the Moon's full phase.
The different colors are recognized to correspond to
real differences in the chemical makeup of the
lunar surface.
Blue hues reveal
titanium rich areas while orange and purple colors
show regions relatively poor in titanium and iron.
The familiar
Sea of Tranquility, or
Mare Tranquillitatis, is the blue area toward the upper right.
White lines radiate across the orange-hued southern
lunar highlands from 85-kilometer wide
ray-crater Tycho at bottom right.
The full moon that occurred earlier this month could be counted as a
seasonal blue moon because it was, unusually, the
third of four full moons
to occur during northern summer (and hence southern winter).
The featured 272-image composite demonstrates that the
full Moon is always blue, but usually not blue enough in hue to
ooh.
Almost Hyperspace:
Random APOD Generator
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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 - color
Publications with words: Moon - color
See also: