Why is the moon orange tonight? According to the Sun, the Earth's atmosphere "absorbs and scatters" different colors of light. As the moon moves through its phases, it appears in various colors depending on how much atmosphere the moon's light has to pass through. Across the United States, skywatchers are eagerly asking if tonight's moon will glow orange, as anticipation builds on social media over the approaching blood moon and lunar eclipse.
When the Moon is low, it looks orange its light must pass through a more substantial thickness of the Earth's atmosphere before reaching you. Why is the moon red? What is a blood moon? The blood moon is a trick of the light, when the typical whitish looking moon becomes red or ruddy brown, like orange. Real-time moon phase information and tonight's lunar viewing guide.
Get answers to blood moon timing, orange moon colors, and lunar eclipse schedules. In the night sky, the Moon typically displays a grayish-white color due to the reflection of sunlight off its surface. However, sometimes it is orange.
The moon is about to change color. The orange color is likely caused by the moon's current position - being viewed through a greater thickness of Earth's atmosphere near the horizon. As the moon reaches its peak height later tonight, around 2 AM, it may have more of its usual white or pale gray appearance.
The Science of Light and Color Visible light, which is the segment of the electromagnetic spectrum that human eyes can perceive, is not a single entity. Instead, it comprises various colors, each corresponding to a different wavelength. For instance, blue and violet light possess shorter, more compressed wavelengths, while red and orange light have longer, more stretched.
The orange hue of the Moon is a captivating natural phenomenon resulting from the interplay between lunar light and Earth's atmosphere. Whether influenced by atmospheric conditions, eclipses, or optical illusions, the orange Moon continues to inspire awe and curiosity among skywatchers worldwide.