A full moon will appear this weekend and may turn orange or even red across North America.
Normally, the "Deer Moon" as it's otherwise called turns orange or red during an eclipse, when the Earth blocks sunlight and our atmosphere reflects red light onto the moon's surface. But this time things may be different because of smoke from wildfires that have erupted across North America.
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Fires have been raging across the Pacific Northwest since last month, fueled by dry vegetation and a series of heat waves brought on by global warming.
The fires are apparently causing smoke that has been carried across the continent, with states issuing air quality advisories from Minnesota to North Carolina. The sky has turned orange across much of North America.
This is because the particles in the fire smoke block the shorter wavelengths of sunlight – the blues and greens – and allow the longer, redder wavelengths to “pass through.” The moon will be no exception to this sweeping smoke coloration brushstroke.
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“When you have smoke from wildfires, especially high in the atmosphere, you usually see the color of the moon as reddish or orange,” says Jesse Berman, an assistant professor of environmental health at the University of Minnesota, where he studies extreme weather and air pollution.
If the smoke is low and thick enough, it could completely block out the moon. But, Berman said, “it’s very likely that any area that has exposure to wildfire smoke will be able to see this red or orange moon.”.
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The moon begins to appear full from Thursday night to Sunday morning, peaking on Friday night, according to NASA. The July full moon is usually called the "Deer Moon," as according to tradition, every year at this time, the new antlers of male deer would begin to emerge from their foreheads, "covered" with velvety and soft fur.
Information source: businessinsider.in
