There is almost a full moon and there is a huge glowing ring in the sky around the moon tonight... it's far out from the moon... not like an eclipse... What causes it?
2007-01-28 16:16:40 · 7 answers · asked by JD 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It's caused by tiny ice crystals suspended high in our atmosphere scattering the light from the moon like fog does.
2007-01-28 16:41:38 · answer #1 · answered by Twizard113 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Twizard11 is correct.
Another thing you might notice is that the ring sometimes displays red and blue colours at it's opposite edges. This is caused by the moonlight being refracted by the ice crystals, the same way sunlight is refracted by rain to cause a rainbow.
2007-01-29 08:25:08 · answer #2 · answered by Timbo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Twizard11 is correct.
It is interesting to note that the ring is always the same size due to the specific angle of refraction (20 something degrees if memory serves me right)
2007-01-29 00:53:51 · answer #3 · answered by Umjahwa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is cause by interference from our atmosphere. If you were on the North Pole where the atmosphere is thinner, the ring might be different or disappear all together.
Simply put it is just our atmosphere breaking up the light waves as they pass through it.
2007-01-29 00:21:40 · answer #4 · answered by Curious 1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Quite literally, the moon has gas.
You can see it clearer on days that the sky seems to have "more stars" in it...the light from the stars is reflecting off of the gas from the moon.
The gas that the moon is producing is actually from the soil that is on the moon.
2007-01-29 00:30:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's trying to express it's non-involvement in the govt's moon landing hoax.
2007-01-29 00:55:17 · answer #6 · answered by sparkloom 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A reflection on our outer atmoshere.
2007-01-29 00:36:26 · answer #7 · answered by da_hammerhead 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋