Orange Moon
A rather orange looking Moon taken on 17th August 2005 CREDIT: Stuart
The Moon isn't actually orange, or made of green cheese for that matter, but sometimes it can look so. The reason is the Earth, or rather the Earth's atmosphere. Imagine you were stood on the Moon looking towards the Sun. Obviously, I don't advise that you normally look directly at the Sun, but this is our imagination so go with it.
At full moon, the Moon is almost on the opposite site of the Earth to the Sun although not quite all lined up. That means that to get to the Moon, light from the Sun has to skim through our atmosphere. It has to go through a lot of atmosphere and, for the same reason that sunsets look reddy-orange, the light which gets to the Moon is slightly orange tinged; some of the blue part of the spectrum has been filtered out by Earth's atmosphere. [Edit 20/8/2005] The light has to come back, through a lot of atmosphere, to your eye. It is this last trip which will do the rest of the reddening. That way, the amount of reddening will depend on your local pollution levels - different countries will see different colours. The Moon should also get less red as it gets higher above the horizon as there is less atmosphere for the light to travel through.
Comments: Orange Moon
"That way, the amount of reddening will depend on your local pollution levels - different countries will see different colours." Does this mean that there was no orange moon before man-made pollution? If not, do we know the levels of pollution neccessary to create the different colors of orange? Is is safe to say the cleaner the atmosphere the less likely we will see a orange moon? I'm not sure about this. There are at least seven examples in the history (before industry) in which literature indicates that there were orange moons. Help me out on this!
Posted by Bill Marion on Sunday 16th Apr 2006 (03:38 UTC)
Bill, I wasn't being very precise using the term 'pollution' as I didn't just mean man-made particles. That was my sloppy use of English.
The orange or red colour of the Moon is due to a filtering effect caused by particles in the Earth's atmosphere, because it is just reflected light from the Sun and that doesn't change its colour.
My poor use of language implied that the only particles doing this are man-made pollution, but nature is quite capable of providing its own particles to increase the reddening. Dust storms, sand storms, forest fires and volcanic eruptions push 'large' particles into the Earth's atmosphere and these will increase the reddening. A famous example is that sunsets were particularly vivid following the Krakatoa explosion in 1883.
Back on the human side of things, it doesn't have to have a purely industrial cause. Dry land/soil that is disturbed by farmers during harvest season will also lead to more dust getting into the atmosphere. This is part of the reason why a full Moon at that time of the year can look red - this often gets called the Harvest Moon.
The only thing I was trying to get at by talking about 'local pollution levels' is that the number of large particles in the atmosphere between you and the Moon will vary depending on your location (as well as over time). This might explain why people on different continents don't necessarily see the Moon as orange on the same day.
Posted by Stuart on Sunday 16th Apr 2006 (13:46 UTC)
Yeah, came to this site after seeing the colour of the moon at 2am, it was a burning orange colour, it looked like it was on fire, never seen anything like it. Much more orange and much much brighter then the one in the photo there.
Just thought it was odd, I have seen orange moons before but nothing like this.
Posted by Someone on Wednesday 06th Dec 2006 (15:53 UTC)
Someone, by any chance do you live in New Zealand or Australia? If not, how high above the horizon (roughly) was the Moon when you observed it.
By the way, I wouldn't take the brightness from my photo as it was a short exposure (to keep the detail) and in reality it was much brighter than it looks there. Plus, if it was this morning the Moon was more full than in my image so it would be brighter still.
Posted by Stuart on Wednesday 06th Dec 2006 (18:10 UTC)
Belfast 11.30pm Saturday 3rd March 2007 full moon tonight, it is red though, except for a thin crescent top left, never seen anything like it before. Thanks for the explanation.
Posted by heather on Saturday 03rd Mar 2007 (23:32 UTC)
Gravesend, Kent UK exactly the same as above! great site!
Posted by matt on Saturday 03rd Mar 2007 (23:52 UTC)
just found this site as i am looking at a beautiful, orange, half moon out of my window. it is half three in the morning and the moon is about where the sun would be if it were about an hour away from dissapearing behind the horizon. its not a firey bright orange but it is deffinately orange.... a nice, warm, relaxing, 'would go well with terracotta' orange.
happy moon gazing!
Posted by Grace, uk on Monday 12th Mar 2007 (03:34 UTC)
Grace, it is nice to hear that you got to see an orange Moon. What were you doing up at half three? ;-)
Posted by Stuart on Monday 12th Mar 2007 (16:53 UTC)
Thanks for the information, just did a search after seeing a distinctly red/orange moon quite low on the horizon about 2000 BST in Hertfordshire. My first thought was 'harvest moon' but then I thought, no that must be later in the year I wonder what's causing this one.
Posted by mike on Monday 02nd Apr 2007 (19:22 UTC)
i was watching tv and an orange moon appeared.
i never knew that could occure and i thought it was a planet. so then i came onto here and researched it up!
Posted by sk on Monday 02nd Apr 2007 (19:39 UTC)
i was watching tv and an orange moon appeared.
i never knew that could occure and i thought it was a planet. so then i came onto here and researched it up!
Posted by sk on Monday 02nd Apr 2007 (19:39 UTC)
i was watching tv and an orange moon appeared.
i never knew that could occure and i thought it was a planet. so then i came onto here and researched it up!
Posted by sk on Monday 02nd Apr 2007 (19:39 UTC)
01:20AM May 3rd '07 Iceland
Just walked by the livingroom window to brush my teeth when I caught a glimpse of a a full BRIGHT orange moon.
My eyes widened and I took a step back. :D
I have never seen the moon burn orange before. It was kind of scary. :D But beautiful.
And of course I had to google it, to make sure this wasn't the work of aliens, or the end of the world.
Posted by Ragga on Thursday 03rd May 2007 (01:41 UTC)
1:18 AM May 3, 2007 Central Ohio, USA
Noticed the moon tonight as well. Beautiful yellow orange color here. Glad I stumbled on this site to see that I'm not the only one curious about it. Farmer's are tilling up the fields for planting season. Figured they are stirring up lots of dust into the atmosphere. Thanks for all the info.
Posted by Karen on Friday 04th May 2007 (05:23 UTC)
Is this a phenomenon that is experienced around the world and is it only during the warmer months? I've seen it in New England USA only in July and August over the Atlantic ocean. Wonderfully magical moon.
Posted by Karin on Friday 01st Jun 2007 (23:13 UTC)
Just to let you all know, there was a very low orange full moon in the sky last night over London. I've seen orange moons before, once in Portugal in the 80's, but this one was so amazing as the moon was so low it looked huge, sitting on the horizon just above the rooftops.
I think Stuart and Bill's comments about the partides and atmospheric pollution is very interesting. It relates to a course I'm studying in Social Science and links to how the social and natural are mixed and how this mix affects our environment. It's also interesting to know that it is sometimes called a Harvest Moon? I wonder how it would affect people who follow a wiccan or pagan tradition?
Posted by Kerry on Saturday 02nd Jun 2007 (10:01 UTC)
Kerry, the Harvest Moon name comes from times when harvests happened together and lots of dry dust was kicked up into the atmosphere. These days we can create the small particles responsible for the reddening all year around!
Karin, that means that it can happen at any time of year when there is a full Moon. Also, the effect is stronger the nearer the horizon the Moon is (more atmosphere for the light to pass through). If you watch it for an hour or so as it rises you should see that it lightens in colour.
Posted by Stuart on Saturday 02nd Jun 2007 (16:41 UTC)
The moon here is orange and full
As the night is dark and black.
I wonder at the window, it is beautiful...
which jumper for tomorrow I should really pack.
Rhymes aside, this is a very nice Orange moon tonight from North of London.
Greetings all!
Posted by Flyby on Saturday 02nd Jun 2007 (23:57 UTC)
I did a double take when I saw how orange the moon was just now (1:00 am) as it's a good way past just rising. Then I heard this whistling sound and it was the coyotes starting up. They sang for a while,then the bullfrogs joined in too. Very nice.
Posted by Michelle on Sunday 03rd Jun 2007 (05:08 UTC)
I'm in the Philippines and the Moon is orange.
I also remember many years ago when the Moon turned chocolate brown - yummy.
Posted by julz on Tuesday 05th Jun 2007 (15:55 UTC)
I had stoppped my car to look at the great big
Orange Moon tonight just wishing I had brought my
camera when blue lights started to flash behind me!! A kind police man had stopped in his van to see if I was ok. When I said I was just looking at the moon he just said "The moon does strange things to people as long as you are ok I will get on my way"
I think he thought maybe I was a bit mad as the time was 12 midnight but it was nice of him to ask if I was okay anyway.
Posted by SUE on Friday 29th Jun 2007 (23:50 UTC)
my daughter star and i just observed a big beautiful orange moon. she was curious about it and that's what brought us to this web site.
barb
parkerford, pennsylvania, usa
Posted by barbara on Saturday 30th Jun 2007 (02:13 UTC)
Sue, it is good that the police stopped to see if you were OK. I don't think you were mad; the Moon can be pretty beautiful really and most people tend to ignore it.
Barbara, I hope my explanation made some sense for you and your daughter.
Posted by Stuart on Saturday 30th Jun 2007 (12:18 UTC)
My fiance and I were driving back from Mahone Bay Nova Scotia Canada to Halifax, NS Canada and saw the same orange moon. We wanted to learn more so googled it.
Thanks for your help and explanation. It was close to the horizon as you have indicated because it gave off an eerie glow that lit up the night.
Posted by JPF on Monday 02nd Jul 2007 (14:55 UTC)
It was truly the most beautiful moon I had ever seen. We were scouting out a campsite ontop of the cliffs of a beach in Montauk, Long Island, NY. Flashlights in hand looking for a way to get down to the shoreline that was 40 feet below, we noticed a sliver of what looked like the sun on the ocean's horizon. Immediately we shut the flashlights and decided to stop and enjoy the moon rise over the Atlantic Ocean. It was incredible. I never saw anything like this firey moonrise before. I attempted to take pictures but they did no justice. Thanks for the info and its romantic to hear we weren't alone in our fascination.
Posted by pam on Friday 06th Jul 2007 (02:17 UTC)
"The Moon should also get less red as it gets higher above the horizon as there is less atmosphere for the light to travel through." I don't understand this idea. It seems to me that the moon should be passing through the same amount of earth's atmosphere regardless of the fact that it is directly above the earth? BTW, was a beautiful orange moon tonight - 75% illuminated at about 30 degrees above the horizon.
Posted by Jason on Wednesday 25th Jul 2007 (09:18 UTC)
Found my answer:
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonorange/
Thanks for helping to point me in the right direction!
Posted by Jason on Wednesday 25th Jul 2007 (09:24 UTC)
This morning... At 1:57am... I looked out the bedroom window and realized something strange about the moon... It was orange. I was in shock and thought maybe my eyes have messed up with the color.. so I ran to the comupter and researched it. Thank God for internet.
Posted by Maria on Friday 27th Jul 2007 (06:19 UTC)
Orange full moon in Milford, CT 9:15 pm July 28, 2007
Posted by towanda on Sunday 29th Jul 2007 (01:18 UTC)
red moon southend on sea uk 30/7/07
Posted by lowe on Monday 30th Jul 2007 (22:06 UTC)
orangish- red moon in onalaska,wa 7-30-2007
Posted by madeline on Tuesday 31st Jul 2007 (05:14 UTC)
Looking at a beautiful orange moon over Denver, Colorado, USA, 10:11 p.m. on July 31. It's so awesome I am tempted to wake my 3 year old to see it. Thanks for the explanation!
Posted by Rachel on Wednesday 01st Aug 2007 (04:19 UTC)
The Moon is amazing tonight over Halifax, Nova Scotia. It's totally orange and it's bigger than the usual. It's something like this photo above.
I was searching to read something about this, then I found this website.
Thank you,
Posted by Rola on Thursday 02nd Aug 2007 (02:09 UTC)
Same in Toronto - the moon is orange tonight... look s weird...
Posted by Karhu on Thursday 02nd Aug 2007 (03:15 UTC)
Beautiful Very Deep Orange at moonrise (10:50ish) on a hot summer night in Auburn (North Eastern Ohio) August 1, 2007
Posted by Kevin Suzanne and Ryan on Thursday 02nd Aug 2007 (03:20 UTC)
Hey Kevin, Karhu, Rola, Rachel, madeline, lowe, towanda, Maria and JPF, thanks for leaving the location and time that you saw an orange Moon. I quite like the fact that this page is becoming a public record of orange Moon sightings. To other people who see an orange Moon, please leave your record of it below. Thanks everyone.
Posted by Stuart on Thursday 02nd Aug 2007 (07:29 UTC)
Stuart, thank you for the information. I came out to sit on my porch with my laptop and noticed that the moon is shining as orange as a tangarine above me in WV tonight. I've never seen anything like it, thank goodness for google or I would have been convinced the world was coming to an end. ;)
Posted by Mindy on Friday 03rd Aug 2007 (03:33 UTC)
It's deep Orange here tonight Aug 3/07 11:30pm EST, Central Ontario Canada. I found your site while trying to explain to my daughter why it was orange. I don't know if it applies, but there are fire bans in most of the surrounding areas, it hasn't rained in awhile and it was hotter than hell today.
Posted by Kelly on Friday 03rd Aug 2007 (03:38 UTC)
Its midnight in upstate ny and the moon is just over the hills. It is a fiery orange, and is the most beautiful i have ever seen. I have heard tales about it so I decided to google it. Thanks for the info!
Posted by ryan on Friday 03rd Aug 2007 (04:16 UTC)
Mindy, Kelly and Ryan, it certainly seems as though much of North America is experiencing orange Moons at the moment. I'm currently in California and the Moon was looking a little orange tonight here too. However, that may be more related to the forest fire nearby which made the Moon deep orangy-red the other day. Thanks for the reports and I'm glad this site was useful for something ;-)
Posted by Stuart on Friday 03rd Aug 2007 (06:21 UTC)
north east england. 5th august 2007. tonight we have experianced the same image of the moon, like an orange colour, quiet extrondinary.
Posted by christopher jones on Sunday 05th Aug 2007 (22:28 UTC)
21/8/07 beautiful orange half moon,which progressed to deep red as it disappeared into the
sea, seen from west coast of Scotland this evening.
Posted by sonia on Tuesday 21st Aug 2007 (21:05 UTC)
21/8/07 beautiful orange half moon,which progressed to deep red as it disappeared into the
sea, seen from west coast of Scotland this evening.
Posted by sonia on Tuesday 21st Aug 2007 (21:05 UTC)
Another fiery orange moon again this evening,just setting now,it's 22.51.on the west coast of Scotland.The colour has been spectacular this past two evenings,will it continue?How often does this happen?I have never seen this before.
Posted by sonia on Wednesday 22nd Aug 2007 (22:00 UTC)
Another fiery orange moon again this evening,just setting now,it's 22.51.on the west coast of Scotland.The colour has been spectacular this past two evenings,will it continue?How often does this happen?I have never seen this before.
Posted by sonia on Wednesday 22nd Aug 2007 (22:01 UTC)
Is there anything that can predict when the moon turns orange? I would love to see it. What time is it most likely to happen? Thanks
Posted by A on Tuesday 25th Sep 2007 (03:08 UTC)
Is there anything that can predict when the moon turns orange? I would love to see it. What time is it most likely to happen? Thanks
Posted by A on Tuesday 25th Sep 2007 (03:09 UTC)
A, best times seem to be when the Moon is near full because it is brighter (more obvious perhaps). At that time of the month it is not far above the horizon after sunset so it also puts itself in the right place. Other than that, check your local weather conditions for amount of dust in the air - the redder the sunsets, the more dust/pollution in the air.
Posted by Stuart on Tuesday 25th Sep 2007 (07:48 UTC)
I work nights and I've always seen the different shapes, colors, hues etc. that the moon has. I got lucky and early this morning I spotted the most beautiful Orange/Red moon I've ever imagined.
Thanks for the explainations above.
Meriden, CT
Posted by Carmen on Wednesday 26th Sep 2007 (09:57 UTC)
I work nights and I've always seen the different shapes, colors, hues etc. that the moon has. I got lucky and early this morning I spotted the most beautiful Orange/Red moon I've ever imagined.
Thanks for the explainations above.
Meriden, CT
Posted by Carmen on Wednesday 26th Sep 2007 (09:57 UTC)
I work nights and I've always seen the different shapes, colors, hues etc. that the moon has. I got lucky and early this morning I spotted the most beautiful Orange/Red moon I've ever imagined.
Thanks for the explainations above.
Meriden, CT
Posted by Carmen on Wednesday 26th Sep 2007 (09:57 UTC)
Big beautiful full orange moon tonight over Kingman Arizona......have an awful thought that it's probably due to the smoke coming from the fires in Southern California......or could it have something to do with the Great Pumpkin? :)
Posted by Laura on Saturday 27th Oct 2007 (01:54 UTC)
Big, beautiful and definitely orange moon shining over the sky above Ilkley Moor, England.
It looked lovely but when the clouds passed over the moon disappeared and the clouds were illuminated white.! I'm watching it rise in the sky as I am ironing and watching Star Wars IV.
Posted by Kim, Chloe & Amy on Sunday 28th Oct 2007 (18:10 UTC)
heyyy,
i think this is a pretty interesting site you taught me something soo THANKS
!!!
Posted by andrea on Saturday 17th Nov 2007 (14:29 UTC)
Beatiful Orange and BIG just over the horizon! La Parguera, Lajas (looking towards the Lajas Valley), Puerto Rico. 6:25PM.
Posted by Carlos A. Quinones on Sunday 25th Nov 2007 (04:47 UTC)
In California terms, it is a fairly chilly New Year's Eve. I see what appears to be a half-moon (and it is definitely orange! So warmth seems irrelevant)
I really can't get away from this "tangerine slice" metaphor tonight! :)
Posted by ShanGo Futuro on Monday 31st Dec 2007 (10:32 UTC)
On this beautiful 2008 New Years day around 1:30am we saw a small bottom sliver of the moon here in Fort Worth Texas. It was orange and a very lovely sight! What a marvelous world our God has created. I'm so glad he's made science to allow us to understand some of his awesome works!
Posted by Nicole McClish on Tuesday 01st Jan 2008 (23:04 UTC)