Question
Why does the moon look "reddish" during a total lunar eclipse? refraction of light from the Earth 's atmosphere reflection of light from the sun reflection of light from the Earth's atmosphere refraction of light from the sun
Solution
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Phoebe
Professional ยท Tutor for 6 years
Answer
The moon looks reddish during a total lunar eclipse due to the **refraction of light from the Earth's atmosphere**.Here's why:During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon. This blocks direct sunlight from reaching the Moon. However, some sunlight bends (refracts) as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere. The Earth's atmosphere scatters shorter wavelengths of light (like blue and green) more effectively than longer wavelengths (like red and orange). This is the same reason why sunsets and sunrises appear reddish.The remaining red and orange light gets bent and projected onto the Moon, giving it a reddish hue during the eclipse.