what does the sky opposite to the moon look like?

[mMark]

Specifically, when you look at the night sky, you can either look at the side where the moon hangs or the opposite side where there is no moon, right? So... my question is:

- if there are some clouds in the opposite (to the moon) side of the sky, will they be lightened up by the moon (on the other side)?

Hope I can get myself clear.

thanks a lot guys.

- mark

[Ilaekae]

The moon is 240,000(?) miles away. Anything it lights on one side of the visible sky that's within the atmosphere it will light on the other side. The clouds immediately in front of the moon seem brighter because they are passing transmitted light from the moon as well as reflecting its light the way the others are.

[HunterKiller_]

No it won't, because the opposite clouds are like how many thousands of miles away.

More scientifically, I'm sure you know that the moon isn't hanging around at the same level as clouds, it is just under 400,000kms above Earth. Therefore, the only clouds illuminated enough to be seen are those directly between the moon and the viewer.

[Ilaekae]

Hunter, the other clouds can't be thousands of miles away. The curvature of the earth would prevent you from even seeing them if they were. Anything within your sight line is going to be lit to some degree by the moon, no matter what direction you look in. This would obviously include clouds within 20-30 miles of you on the "opposite" side of the sky from the moon. The moon is NOT in the atmosphere, as you so politely pointed out, so its light reflects off anything in its "view."

Otherwise, at least two of these pics would have been impossible, since the moon is BEHIND the photographer on those two, and off the camera's view on the third.

[Elwell]

- if there are some clouds in the opposite (to the moon) side of the sky, will they be lightened up by the moon (on the other side)?


The moon is a light source like any other.

[HunterKiller_]

Ilkaekae: The situation in the first two photos are a little unclear to me, and in the third one there's the ocean, which is acting as a giant mirror. :P
I acknowledge that my statement was not entirely correct.

[mMark]

thanks a lot guys, I will try take some photos myself these days. :)

[Seedling]

What Elwell said. Plus, it's your picture. *You* get to decide if the moon illuminates things in your image a whole lot, or not at all.