what happens when the moon is really low in the sky and its really big and orange?

Question

whats goin on when at night the moon is low in the sky, looks huge like its gonn a run into the earth and has a tint of orange?

Answer 1

Well, generally when that happens in the late evening, in the east, the moon then rises and turns whiter as it gets higher in the sky. It also begins to look smaller, though if you were to measure you could not detect an actual change in diameter--the moon only looks smaller as an optical illusion. It looks big compared to things on the distant horizon, but small compared to the vast expanse of surrounding night sky.

When the moon is big on the western horizon, it generally dips below and disappears from view.

Answer 2

The orange color is because its light is travelling through more of Earth's atmosphere, causes the light to shift toward the red end of the spectrum. It's size is simply an optical illusion. Because it's close to the ground and you have reference points, like buildings or trees, that you don't have when it's overhead. It's called the moon illusion.

Answer 3

First the moon is not full. It is at a half stage. Right now where I live it is almost due West about 45 degrees up. The dark is on top with the light on bottom. There is no full moon tonight!

Answer 4

Referring to the answerer above me, Tony S, optical illusion is only part of what makes it look bigger. You are also looking through twice as much atmosphere when looking at the horizon so the moon is magnified. I remember one night when there was a lot of smoke in the air and it made the moon look HUGE!

Answer 5

As Dean Martin sang:
When the moon hits you eye
Like a big pizza pie
THAT'S AMORE.

(the orange is probably due to haze. The larger size is an optical effect that also happens with the sun. )

Answer 6

It means the apocalypse is coming. The moon is huge because it's approaching the earth and it has a red hue because it's burning through the atmosphere.

Answer 7

We used to call that a Harvest Moon also.

Answer 8

if its really orange go to bed ya wont wake up

Answer 9

that is the sunlight reflecting at an odd angle through the atmosphere.

Answer 10

You might think that it is an orange indeed.