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A total lunar eclipse looks red. Why?
- During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth's shadow causes the moon to appear red, rusty orange, or copper-colored.
- The Earth's atmosphere plays a key role in making the moon look red during a lunar eclipse.
- Sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere results in filtering out green to violet light, allowing the reddish spectrum to prevail.
- The reddish light is bent and refracted towards the moon, creating the red hue during a total lunar eclipse.
- Factors like dust, humidity, smoke, and temperature influence the brightness and color of the moon during an eclipse.
- The appearance of the moon during a total lunar eclipse can vary from copper-colored to deep red.
- The brightness of the moon during totality can differ based on atmospheric conditions.
- Uncertainty prevails regarding how red or dark the moon will appear during a lunar eclipse, adding to the allure of observing eclipses.
- A blue band of light along the limb of the moon, caused by light passing through the ozone layer, may also be visible during a lunar eclipse.
- The upcoming total lunar eclipse of March 13-14, 2025, offers another opportunity to witness the moon turning red due to Earth's atmosphere.
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