Is it just me, or is the moon very bright?

reply to post by samureyed


Get her eyes checked. I have severe astigmatism in both eyes, and without my glasses I see 2 moons. I also see streaks instead of stars, they are usually a straight line or even a cross shape, but I put on my glasses and walla, they look normal!

The moon looks bigger and brighter here in Georgia tonight, I have assumed that while it is low in the sky it is closer to us, or to the horizon.

[edit on 22-3-2008 by space cadet]
edit+ add info

[edit on 22-3-2008 by space cadet]

Originally posted by NewWorldOver
Are you really in Sweden? That would definitely explain some of it.

Certain cross-sections of the atmosphere will dillute light that passes through it. Kind of like you can see heat waves coming off the road if it's far away. Well at a certain distance or height up, you don't see so much of the heatwaves, you see over it. At our location, the atmosphere between our angle and the setting of the moon is thick. Where you are, perhaps the angle you view the moon at allows far more light to come through. Less atmosphere distortion because of a better viewing angle?

This is all rationalist explanation. In my opinion the sun and the moon and every object in the solar system is brightening up and raising it's vibration. But I don't expect that to be the popular opinion

Cool, never heard of that before(:

Yeah, I live in Sweden. But do you really think it's because of that? I think it's the same around the whole world.

I see it during the daytime a lot now. Around 3 or 4 pm I'll look up at the sky and the moon's already out.

Originally posted by asala

This is mainly caused by the sun reflecting off the moon which causes this extra brightness,

So are you saying that the sun is brighter then?

Yesterday, we had a clear sky and a full moon over germany. The weather here is crazy at the moment. The sun is shining and then it is snowing. It changes every hour.

When i looked at the moon yesterday i thought exactly the same. The moon was
really bright. I look often to the moon but yesterday, the moon was shining really strong.

I will now check the SOHO pages for the sun activity. I´ve heard that the sun cycle that restarts every year is refusing to start for while. Maybe it happened in the last days.

Good find! Flag and a star for you.

Ok, i think the sun is really active at the moment.
The aurora oval is much bigger than in the last months.




The sun, still doesn´t have sunspots. It seams that the next cycle is still refusing to start.




Also the solar wind speed is relativley high at the moment. 417 km/s is the current speed. You can check all the data at:

spaceweather


Here are the news, ´ve seen about the sun cycle.

Sun cycle

Funny you mention this, I was talking to a complete stranger on a site last night, and she asked "did you see the full moon last night" about 3 am uk time, I just thought it was out of context with what we where talking about
as there is nothing speacial about seeing a full moon.
must take a look tonight weather permitting.
And will ask her if she meant the brightness of it.

The only difference I find between this full Moon and other full Moons is that this occurred on the Spring equinox.

Could that be a reason for it to appear brighter and/or bigger to some people?

Ive been noticing this more and more over the past month at least, probably longer, the moon and stars, but past 3 nights or so, one very cloudy and rainy, other clear, and thin, crisp air. The moon was incredible, brighter than ive ever seen it, and I'm sure I saw stars 'flaring' although, when i pointed it out to my friends, they didn't see the 'flares' i was refering to. Ive also noticed the moon out early, about 2 weeks ago, it was out at 3pm!!

Originally posted by ElectroMagnetic Multivers
Ive also noticed the moon out early, about 2 weeks ago, it was out at 3pm!!

There is nothing unusual about that. When the moon is at first quarter it is rising about noon.

yeah i noticed the same thing in the last 2 nights here in portugal.

it was very bright but i have seen similar cases in the past.

I live in Michigan on a farm among a lot of Amish farmers so there not a lot of ambient light. I have noticed the moon seems to be a bit brighter in the last few months. I thought it was just because I was out in the middle of no where. I have no explanation to offer as to why. Have been searching some of the more scientific sites to see if there was any reason for this and as yet have found nothing.

reply to post by kingsnake


Apparently Portugal is the only place where we can see a big, bright full Moon every time.

Santa Barbara Ca. 3-21-08 3:00 a.m. watched V for Vendetta for first time!! OH CRAP! we know that that movie id about!


I walk out to the garage to smoke, and noticeed how bright it was out side. I though the street light I had disabled was repaired,... THE MOON! what? I had been sitting in my garage studying Druidism, pagan rituals, and this equinox with the full moon happeneing all "around" the same time. WE joke that the Skull and Bones would be having a "fieild" day this weekend, 322 (march 22, equinox) and all the other rituals that will be happing this weekend... I went out t see who the heck, or what the heck was shining so bright in front of my house,... The moon! didn't think anythig of it accept it was bright!!

Originally posted by Lucid Lunacy

Originally posted by asala

This is mainly caused by the sun reflecting off the moon which causes this extra brightness,

So are you saying that the sun is brighter then?

somewhat yes,

The moon its self is not that bright, the Sun reflecting on it is what causes its brightness, giving the suface a glass effect, So in all rights we should be seeing what the sun is up to to get to the root of this

The Moon has been brighter for 2 years now...and so are other celestial beings in the Solar system, and their global temperature.

So either the Sun is getting bigger, or either the planets are getting closer to the Sun...

Yes, I'll have to agree that the moon has been very bright lately. Yesterday it snowed in Chicago. Clouds blocked the sky, but there was a section that was immensely bright. I wondered what it was, kept on looking at the area in the sky. Then Later on I realized it was the moon, I laughed at myself. I think its so bright because the Earth is coming nearer to the Sun. Earth's orbit is a bit more oval then circle. Thats why we have seasons. Springs coming, the moon is reflecting the Suns Light.

Good thread.

EDIT: Link to a Diagram of Earth's Orbit
okfirst.mesonet.org...

[edit on 850America/Chicagof2008Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:24:01 -0500America/Chicago 3102America/Chicago by Trams]

reply to post by TKainZero


Ditto. Was very bright here too from my vantage point in the northern end of the San Fernando Valley. But it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary.

If the moon is genuinely getting brighter than that means the sun is heating up, and we certainly don't want that to be the case. It's hot enough here in southern California. (And the moon isn't getting closer. It doesn't look any bigger in the sky than usual.)

May I suggest one possibility? Colors and luminance appear more vibrant when you are coming from a happier place inside yourself, a place of universal love and peace. It seems that more and more people lately are moving towards the "light" and realizing that the only universal truth is love. Human progress (or otherwise) cannot come from chaos and disorder, only from love and unity.

[edit on 3/22/2008 by pjslug]

You know, I did notice my room has been unusually bright lately at night from moon light. I just assumed I hadn't noticed it before.

Intriguing! ( I'm in the midwest US )

Originally posted by pjslug
Human progress (or otherwise) cannot come from chaos and disorder, only from love and unity.

Nature is much more chaotic then the structure of human progress e.g modern civilization. Perhaps there is a unity, a higher order, to be found in the nature of things! As can be seen by wikipedia, eBay, web 2.0 social networking, and the Universe at large Long live unity through Anarchy

What you said sounded great, but I think it might just be that the sun is getting brighter, or hotter, or whatever.