A Quadruple Alignment over Italy
Why does this Moon look so unusual? A key reason is its vivid red color. The color is caused by the deflection of blue light by Earth's atmosphere -- the same reason that the daytime sky appears blue . The Moon also appears unusually distorted . Its strange structuring is an optical effect arising from layers in the Earth's atmosphere that 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 airplane flying in front . The featured picturesque gibbous Moon was captured about two weeks ago above Turin , Italy . Our familiar hovering sky orb was part of an unusual quadruple alignment that included two historic ground structures: the Sacra di San Michele on the near hill and Basilica of Superga just beyond. Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your friend's birthday? (post 1995)