Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2025 March 4
     [2]A hazy night sky shows four lined up items. The closest two are
       lit-up buildings on hills. Looming large in the background, in
     alignment, is a gibbous Moon, distorted and reddened by the Earth's
     atmosphere. Across the Moon's face is a streak that is an airplane.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                      A Quadruple Alignment over Italy
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Valerio Minato

   Explanation: Why does this Moon look so unusual? A key reason is its
   vivid [4]red color. The color is [5]caused by the deflection of blue
   light by [6]Earth's atmosphere -- the same reason that the [7]daytime
   sky appears blue. The Moon also appears unusually [8]distorted. Its
   [9]strange structuring is an optical effect arising from layers in the
   Earth's atmosphere that [10]refract light differently due to sudden
   differences in temperature or pressure. A third reason the Moon looks
   so unusual is that there is, by chance, an [11]airplane flying in
   front. The [12]featured picturesque [13]gibbous [14]Moon was captured
   about two weeks ago above [15]Turin, [16]Italy. Our familiar hovering
   sky orb was part of an unusual [17]quadruple alignment that included
   two historic ground structures: the [18]Sacra di San Michele on the
   near hill and [19]Basilica of Superga just beyond.

    Your Sky Surprise: [20]What picture did APOD feature on your friend's
                            birthday? (post 1995)
                      Tomorrow's picture: star sisters
     __________________________________________________________________

      [21]< | [22]Archive | [23]Submissions | [24]Index | [25]Search |
   [26]Calendar | [27]RSS | [28]Education | [29]About APOD | [30]Discuss |
                                    [31]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([35]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [36]Specific rights apply.
            [37]NASA Web Privacy, [38]Accessibility, [39]Notices;
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC,
                         [43]NASA Science Activation
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2503/QuadMoon_Minato_960.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/valeriominato/
   4. https://preview.colorkit.co/color/FF0000.png
   5. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/optical-effects/why-is-the-sunset-red
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-atmosphere/earths-atmosphere-a-multi-layered-cake/
   7. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231009.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170120.html
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_refraction
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190212.html
  12. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGS3o0JtoBA/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231112.html
  14. https://science.nasa.gov/moon/moon-phases/
  15. https://youtu.be/5KIl4bpaDBM
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy
  17. https://i.pinimg.com/474x/c1/df/9e/c1df9e537650977b9474b103f380094b.jpg
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacra_di_San_Michele
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231225.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250303.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  27. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250304
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250305.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/