by APOD Robot » Tue Sep 04, 2018 4:05 am
Moon behind Lava Fountain
Explanation: What's happened to the Moon? Nothing, but something has happened to the
image of the Moon. The heat from a
volcanic lava fountain in the foreground has warmed and made
turbulent the air nearby, causing passing light to
refract differently than usual. The result is a
lava plume that appears to be
melting the Moon. The featured picture was taken as the full
Sturgeon Moon was
setting behind
Mt. Etna as it
erupted in
Italy about one week ago. The picture is actually a
composite of two images, one taken right after the other, with the same camera and lens. The
first image was a quick exposure to capture details of the setting Moon, while the
second exposure, taken after the Moon set a few minutes later, was longer so as to capture details of the faint lava jets. From our Earth, we can only see the
Sun,
Moon, planets, and stars as they appear through the distortion of the
Earth's atmosphere. This distortion can not only change the images of familiar orbs into
unusual shapes, it can --unexpectedly at times --
delay sunset and moonset by several minutes.
[url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180904.html] [img]https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_180904.jpg[/img] [size=150]Moon behind Lava Fountain[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] What's happened to the Moon? Nothing, but something has happened to the [i]image[/i] of the Moon. The heat from a [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava#/media/File:Lava_fountain_at_Kilauea.jpg]volcanic lava fountain[/url] in the foreground has warmed and made [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbulence]turbulent[/url] the air nearby, causing passing light to [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refraction]refract[/url] differently than usual. The result is a [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170426.html]lava plume[/url] that appears to be [url=http://www.acoolthingilearnedtoday.com/why-does-chocolate-melt-in-your-mouth/]melting[/url] the Moon. The featured picture was taken as the full [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon]Sturgeon[/url] Moon was [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPIeMVORS4o]setting[/url] behind [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rznju2ivzfU]Mt. Etna[/url] as it [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030416.html]erupted[/url] in [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy]Italy[/url] about one week ago. The picture is actually a [url=https://jokideo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Cat-Optical-Illusion.jpg]composite of two[/url] images, one taken right after the other, with the same camera and lens. The [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1809/MoonPlumeBefore_Pace_4672.jpg]first image[/url] was a quick exposure to capture details of the setting Moon, while the [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1809/MoonPlumeAfter_Pace_4672.jpg]second exposure[/url], taken after the Moon set a few minutes later, was longer so as to capture details of the faint lava jets. From our Earth, we can only see the [url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/in-depth/]Sun[/url], [url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/overview/]Moon[/url], planets, and stars as they appear through the distortion of the [url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html]Earth's atmosphere[/url]. This distortion can not only change the images of familiar orbs into [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090223.html]unusual[/url] [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111010.html]shapes[/url], it can --unexpectedly at times -- [url=https://aty.sdsu.edu/explain/sunset_time.html]delay sunset[/url] and moonset by several minutes.
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