Why does the moonlight appear brighter sometimes when it is only 1/2 and not a full moon?

Question

We had rain this evening and after the sky cleared, a person can see well enough to walk only in the moonlight.

Answer 1

This is not a rare thing. Rain washes the air clear of smoke and dust. Also, rain is usually the result of humid air coming in contact with cooler air. The cooler air causes the humidity to condense and fall to the ground as raindrops.

Before the rain, you had dust and smog and humidity in the air and that makes the moon a bit dimmer. After the rain, the air was cleaner and clearer.

You may notice that the stars also appear brighter on a clear winter night than they generally do in the summer. In part it is for the same reason; the cold air makes the water droplets in the atmosphere condense out. It is also because the winter sky (at least in the northern hemisphere) has more bright stars to begin with.

Answer 2

siguro kasi, ewan!!!!