A nearly full Moon [
http://www.inconsta…] and planet Earth's [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] shadow set together in this scene captured Monday from snowy Mt. Jelm, home of the Wyoming Infrared Observatory [
http://faraday.uwyo…]. For early morning risers (and late to bed astronomers [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…]), shadow set in the western sky is a daily apparition [
http://webexhibits.…] whose subtle beauty is often overlooked in favor of the more colorful eastern horizon. Extending through [
http://www.sundog.c…earshad.htm ] the dense atmosphere, Earth's setting shadow is seen [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] in this picture as a dark blue band along the distant horizon, bounded above by a pinkish glow or antitwilight [
http://amsglossary.…glossary/search?id=a ntitwilight-arch1 ] arch. Also known as the Belt of Venus, the arch's lovely color [
http://pages.prodig…MoonPlanets_040206_3 4.html ] is due to backscattering of reddened light from the rising Sun. The setting Moon's light is also reddened [
http://www.explorat…blue_sky.html ] by the long sight-line through the atmosphere and echoes the dawn sky's yellow-orange hues [
http://webexhibits.…causesofcolor/14B.ht ml ].
Explanation
A nearly full Moon [
http://www.inconsta…] and planet Earth's [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] shadow set together in this scene captured Monday from snowy Mt. Jelm, home of the Wyoming Infrared Observatory [
http://faraday.uwyo…]. For early morning risers (and late to bed astronomers [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…]), shadow set in the western sky is a daily apparition [
http://webexhibits.…] whose subtle beauty is often overlooked in favor of the more colorful eastern horizon. Extending through [
http://www.sundog.c…earshad.htm ] the dense atmosphere, Earth's setting shadow is seen [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] in this picture as a dark blue band along the distant horizon, bounded above by a pinkish glow or antitwilight [
http://amsglossary.…glossary/search?id=a ntitwilight-arch1 ] arch. Also known as the Belt of Venus, the arch's lovely color [
http://pages.prodig…MoonPlanets_040206_3 4.html ] is due to backscattering of reddened light from the rising Sun. The setting Moon's light is also reddened [
http://www.explorat…blue_sky.html ] by the long sight-line through the atmosphere and echoes the dawn sky's yellow-orange hues [
http://webexhibits.…causesofcolor/14B.ht ml ].
Explanation
