by APOD Robot » Sun May 03, 2015 4:12 am
Moonrise Through Mauna Kea's Shadow
Explanation: How can the Moon rise
through a mountain? It cannot -- what was
photographed here is a
moonrise through the
shadow of a large
volcano. The volcano is
Mauna Kea,
Hawai'i,
USA, a frequent spot for
spectacular photographs since it is arguably the premier observing location on planet Earth. The Sun has just set in the
opposite direction, behind the camera. Additionally, the
Moon has just passed full
phase -- were it precisely at
full phase it would rise, possibly
eclipsed, at the very peak of the shadow. The Moon is actually rising in the
triangular shadow cone of the volcano, a
corridor of darkness that tapers off in the distance like
converging train tracks. The Moon is too large and too far away to be affected by the shadow of the volcano.
Refraction of moonlight through the
Earth's atmosphere makes the
Moon appear slightly oval.
Cinder cones from old volcanic eruptions are visible in the foreground.
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[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150503.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_150503.jpg[/img] [size=150]Moonrise Through Mauna Kea's Shadow[/size][/url]
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