Why did the moon turn a coppery colour on the last eclipse?

Question

It also appeared the same colour last night, though this time it wasn't eclipsed. Confused!

Answer 1

"The red colouring arises because sunlight reaching the Moon must pass through a long and dense layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where it is scattered. Shorter wavelengths are more likely to be scattered by the small particles, and so by the time the light has passed through the atmosphere, the longer wavelengths dominate. This resulting light we perceive as red. This is the same effect that causes sunsets and sunrises to turn the sky a reddish color; an alternative way of considering the problem is to realise that, as viewed from the Moon, the Sun would appear to be setting (or rising) behind the Earth.

The amount of refracted light depends on the amount of dust or clouds in the atmosphere; this also controls how much light is scattered. In general, the dustier the atmosphere, the more that other wavelengths of light will be removed (compared to red light), leaving the resulting light a deeper red color. This causes the resulting coppery-red hue of the Moon to vary from one eclipse to the next. Volcanoes are notable for expelling large quantities of dust into the atmosphere, and a large eruption shortly before an eclipse can have a large effect on the resulting color (as well as producing many beautiful sunsets around the world).

The following scale (the Danjon scale) was devised by André Danjon for rating the overall darkness of lunar eclipses:[2]

L=0: Very dark eclipse. Moon almost invisible, especially at mid-totality.
L=1: Dark Eclipse, gray or brownish in coloration. Details distinguishable only with difficulty.
L=2: Deep red or rust-colored eclipse. Very dark central shadow, while outer edge of umbra is relatively bright.
L=3: Brick-red eclipse. Umbral shadow usually has a bright or yellow rim.
L=4: Very bright copper-red or orange eclipse. Umbral shadow has a bluish, very bright rim. "

Answer 2

It's just the mixture of shadow from the Earth and fiery colours from the Sun. A mixture of black and white, and colour, basically.

I must admit though, the last lunar eclipse really was exceptionally coppery! Fantastic! (Lots of Sun-at-night!!)

Note: the Moon only really has 'Earthlight' when it is 'up' in the day - facing a Sunlit planet. If it is 'up' at night it is facing the unlit side of the planet, so no 'Earthlight'.

In a lunar eclipse the Earth's shadow that is across the Moon is called 'penumbra' not total shadow, hence the mix of odd light. Objects would need to be much nearer to Earth to experience total shadow.

Answer 3

During an eclipse, much of the light has to go through a large amount of the earths atmosphere. It will be tinted red like it would be in a sunset because of the particles in the atmosphere. I don't know what you saw last night. Maybe some haze reflecting a streetlight.

Answer 4

The moon turns purple for the duration of a lunar eclipse because of fact the earth,moon,and solar style an alignment so then the suns rays fall on the earth which motives a shadow on the moon because of place the solar gentle has to bypass by earths environment to realize the moon,so the ambience scatters the gentle coming from the solar yet longest wavelength of purple colour passes by it subsequently ensuing a purple shadow on the moon

Answer 5

When the moon was in the Earth's shadow, a small amount of red light, dispersed in the Earth's atmosphere reached it, making it appear a copper colour.

Answer 6

All the sunrises and all the sunsets occurring on Earth at that moment causes the moon to turn red. (They are happening somewhere on Earth all the time)

The sunlight actually bends through the atmosphere of the earth like light through a prism leaving only the red light left to strike the moon.

Answer 7

Sometimes, when the moon is close to the horizon, pollution in the air can make the moon appear orange.

Answer 8

I think it was due to the light having passed through the earth's atmosphere on its way to the moon. Don't ask me for the science bit - I forget!

Answer 9

That depends are where you were while viewing it, in Colorado the air is clean and it looked bright white. If you were in L.A. it probably did look orange because of the smoggy haze,

Answer 10

Sunset on the moon?