When it rises it's bright yellow, then when it's in the middle of the sky it's grey/white. So why is it yellow when it rises?
2006-10-13 04:19:09 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
When you see the moon low on the horizon you are looking through a thicker, more dense slice of the atmosphere. The refracted light in the atmosphere, as well as particles of smoke, water vapor, pollution, etc., contribute more to the color of the moon at that level as well.
2006-10-13 04:24:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Look sun is bright in the day (it's a white sort of colour). At sunrise and sunset it goes orange and red. So too with the Moon. It isn't so bright because we see it by reflected sunlight, but it's still silvery white when it's high in the sky and dull yellow orange when near the horizon.
The reason for this is due to the Earth's atmosphere. The gasses in this are clear and colourless, but air contains many tiny specks of dust. We don't normally notice these, but when the sun or Moon are near the horizon,
the light has to pass through a very wide path through the atmosphere. The nature of the dust particles causes blue light to be scattered away sideways, and lets the red light get through, so we see a more Orangey-red colour.
2006-10-13 12:39:04 · answer #2 · answered by Innocence Redefined 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the moon's yellow because when it is reflecting off of the sun its white (in the sky at night) but when it rises and sets it's only catching some of the light, causing it to be yellow
2006-10-13 16:25:46 · answer #3 · answered by Danielle 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For the same reason sunsets are yellow or orange or even red. The air absorbs blue light and since there is more air between you and the Moon when you see the Moon near the horizon compared to when it is high in the sky, more of the blue light from it fails to make it all the way through to your eye.
2006-10-13 11:31:22 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The angle of view does have alot to do with it, but the colors today have alot to do with the different particulates you are viewing the moons reflected sunlight through. Here in the Atlanta area we ge stunning reds and ambers w/ the sunset and moon rise. this has to do with the auto emmisions in the atmosphere around here...sorry it isn't more glamorous than this but tada
2006-10-13 11:28:46 · answer #5 · answered by Cadman1965 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because of the way the Sun is shining off of it.
2006-10-13 13:14:55 · answer #6 · answered by Krissy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the sun's glow is reflecting behind it giving it a "yellowish" tinge.
2006-10-13 11:22:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is (probably) just the distance and the angle at which you see it. different light is being refracted or defracted (i dont remember which word)
2006-10-13 11:21:52 · answer #8 · answered by J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because somebody pees on it
2006-10-13 11:20:37 · answer #9 · answered by day dreamin baby 5 · 1⤊ 5⤋