Published: Sept. 20, 2021

Graphic showing an observer looking through the atmosphere when the Moon is on the horizon versus the zenith

Full Moon tonight!

Watch the Sun set in the west as the Harvest Moon rises in the east. Notice the orange color as the Moon rises? Check it out a few hours later when the Moon is higher in the sky — the orange/sepia filter has faded.

This color shift happens for objects low on the horizon when we look through more of Earth's atmosphere.