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Credit & Copyright: Valerio Minato
Explanation:
Why does this Moon look so unusual?
A key reason is its vivid
red color.
The color is
caused by the deflection of blue light by
Earth's atmosphere -- the same reason that the
daytime sky appears blue.
The Moon also appears unusually
distorted.
Its strange structuring
is an optical effect arising from layers in the Earth's atmosphere that
refract light differently due to sudden differences in temperature or pressure.
A third reason the Moon looks so unusual is that there is,
by chance, an
airplane flying in front.
The
featured picturesque
gibbous
Moon was captured about two weeks ago above
Turin,
Italy.
Our familiar hovering sky orb was part of an unusual
quadruple alignment that included two historic ground structures: the
Sacra di San Michele on the near hill and
Basilica of Superga just beyond.
Your Sky Surprise:
What picture did APOD feature on your friend's birthday? (post 1995)
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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
Publications with words: Moon
See also: