how can some nights be darker than others?

Question

umm tonight was reall dark and last night it was really light out both at 11 p.m.whats this called?and how can u predict when its going to be lighter.oh and how can sunspots cut electricity out.

Answer 1

Depends on a number of things:

For city folks, there's more light pollution, but it depends how much moisture and particles (fog, smog, dust, smoke or clouds) are in the atmosphere that reflects light back to earth, making some nights brighter than others and difficult to star gaze, the lower the cloud cover is, the more light is reflected back.

For country folks, it also depends on cloud cover, blocking light from the stars, since clear nights in country can be bright enough to see, especially when the moon is out.

Temperature plays a role in how much moisture is in the air, so you can see more stars on a cold cloudless winter night even with light pollution in the city.

Answer 2

When I moved here, I couldn't get over the light nights. I happened to know an astronomer, and this is how he explained it to me.

Low cloud cover and snow cover both reflect whatever light is around, from cars' headlights to street lights to light from homes and businesses to moonlight. When you've got both a layer of white snow (doesn't matter how deep) and a layer of low clouds, the sky can become so light that it appears pink or orange-ish, and you can literally read large text like kids' books.

(Where I live, we have pink nights a lot.)

Answer 3

It depends on how much and how low the cloud cover is, what type of precipitation is falling, and if the moon is shining full or not.

Answer 4

goverment does it.