dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (10/06/85)
You've got a good chance tonight to notice how much light the moon casts in the sky. More -- after this. October 6 The Light of the Moon Here's an interesting observation you might want to try. It'll work best in a country sky, where city lights don't get in the way. The moon is now at last quarter -- which means it'll rise after midnight. That means the evening sky will be dark -- and from a location free from city lights, you'll have no trouble seeing faint stars. After moonrise, you'll have a chance to compare -- to see just how much light the moon really does add to the sky. It's kind of a shock to get up around 3 a.m. -- to go out and look at the same sky you saw before -- and realize just how many fewer stars are visible. None of the very faint ones will remain -- and the entire sky will be washed with the bright light of the moon -- a gray sky instead of a black one. And again this is only a last quarter moon, which appears half-illuminated in our sky -- like half a pie. When there's a full moon, which rises around sunset, the night sky appears even brighter. The brightness of the moon is something you don't notice, unless you live away from city lights -- or unless you're a stargazer with a reason to want a dark sky. But it's something anyone can become aware of -- and it's even interesting to see if you notice any difference from the city. Give it a try! Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin