How can I simulate moonlight?

Question

I'm doing a science project about how the moon affects plants. I need a way to simulate the moon's light.

Answer 1

You can't actually scientifically simulate the moons light since the moon reflects the suns light in the absence of an atmosphere (which effects the frequencies and photons of light that pass through it). You can however use a filter placed close enough to the light to reduce the effects of atmospheric changes. So if your on a high budget, buy a breeding lamb (like chickens or plants use that is similar to sunlight) and use a particular paint that absorbs certain light spectrum frequencies like the moon does (giving it its grey colour) that can be made in paint shops (make it radiator paint since it needs to endure the bulbs heat). If however your on a low budget, use glow in the dark paint, let light absorb it for a while and then use it. This works rather effectively because the light absorbed is from the sun, but the frequency is stored in a potential signature and so when released (in the dark) will emulate a moons light frequency!

Hope this helps! :D

Answer 2

Get a light bulb that has a spectrum close to the sun ... something like a grow light for plants. Then take a grey cardboard that's close to the moon in color or an actual color map of the moon. Shine the bulb on the cardboard/map and expose the plants to the light. Make sure the bulb only lights the grey area. You'll have to lock off parts of the light (use something like a black cloth) to simulate phases of the moon and you'll have to figure out how much the moon is up every night.

Answer 3

The moon has an albedo of 11, so you'll need a sun lamp with 89% of the light blocked. That white LED flashlight sounds good, although you might want to measure its output with a light meter.

Do you intend to run constant "moonlight" or something more "natural"? Remember, the Moon shines at different levels and times of the night throughout the month.

Answer 4

Use a white LED flashlight. Those cast a radiance that looks remarkably similar to that of the full moon.

Answer 5

Get a mirror. Focus a bright light on the mirror. Take off your pants and moon yourself in the mirror.

Answer 6

A waterproof led strip would be nice to installed around the tank, you can also change the color with a remote, not only just blue.

Answer 7

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