On a Blue Moon
Image Credit &
Copyright:
Simon Smith
Rising at sunset, the gorgeous Full Moon of
August 31 became the second Full Moon in a month.
According to modern reckoning,
that makes it a Blue Moon.
In fact, parts of the Full Moon do look a little blue in
this sharp lunar portrait.
Taken just hours before the exact full phase in
delightfully clear skies over Nottingham, UK, it features
eye-catching bright rays extending from the prominent young
crater Tycho in the Moon's southern hemisphere.
The slightly color enhanced image also brings out
subtle shades of blue, a
real characteristic of
terrain with a high content of titanium oxide and iron.
The blue
lunar terrain on the right includes
the dark flat expanse of the Sea of Tranquility and
the Apollo 11 landing site.