Why is the moon orange?

Did you see the moon last night?

You have probably noticed that the moon has been extra colourful over the past few nights.

Last night was the seventh full moon of the year – which is called a Buck Moon, and it had a delightful orange hue to it in the night sky.

Also known as the Thunder Moon, the name Buck Moon is Native American in origin, and comes from the fact that it is during this time of year when buck deer begin to sprout antlers from their foreheads.

The moon will continue to have an eyecatching orangey tint to it for the next few days.

But why does this happen, and when is the next full moon?

Why is the moon orange?

You may assume that there is an astrological reason as to why the moon was a different colour, but that might not be the case when it comes to this Buck Moon.

One reason why a moon might look different is its position in the sky.

In a guide to ‘moon illusions’, Preston Dyches from NASA states ‘there’s one notable way in which the Moon’s appearance is actually different when it’s low in the sky.

‘It tends to have a more yellow or orange hue, compared to when it’s high overhead.

‘This happens because the Moon’s light travels a longer distance through the atmosphere.

‘As it travels a longer path, more of the shorter, bluer wavelengths of light are scattered away, leaving more of the longer, redder wavelengths.’

But in the case of this Buck Moon, the orange hue is likely a result of pollution or dust, particularly if you catch sight of it in the United States.

Wildfires across the Western United States and Canada have contributed to the orange appearance of the Buck Moon, with the smoke affecting the light that travels through the atmosphere.

When is the next full moon?

The next full Moon is the full Blue Sturgeon Moon, which should occur on August 22.

Defined as the third full Moon in any one season, the Strawberry Moon occurring very early in summer—which officially began with the solstice on June 21 – means that the Sturgeon Moon on August 22 will officially be a Blue Moon.

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