If the moon is a narrow crescent, you can observe a strange phenomenon: the actually dark part of the moon glows ashen. What's behind the earthshine.
Munich – The moon presents us with a different sight every day. From the invisible new moon to the narrow crescent moon and the increasingly brighter crescent moon to the radiant full moon - the moon has a variety of appearances that can be seen over the course of just under a month. While the full moon is often in the spotlight, the narrow crescent moon also has its own charm.
There are days when an almost magical phenomenon occurs: in these moments, the narrow crescent moon shines brightly and the rest of the moon also becomes visible in a ghostly ashen light. But how does this fascinating phenomenon arise and when can we observe it?
Earthshine or "Da Vinci Glow": Moon reflects the light of the earth
The moon itself does not shine – it only reflects the light of the sun. This reflection of the sun's rays on the lunar surface also explains the different phases of the moon that we experience. Depending on how much sunlight the moon receives, its appearance changes. If the crescent moon is very narrow and yet the rest of the moon is visible in the ghostly light, it is called a phenomenon called earthshine or "Da Vinci Glow".
The term "earthshine" already illustrates how this phenomenon comes about: The illuminated side of the moon reflects sunlight – a crescent moon becomes visible. However, since this is narrow and less bright, it can be seen that the remaining part of the moon reflects the light that the sun emits into space.
After a look from space, you understand the earthshine better
Since the "Apollo" missions of the US space agency Nasa, in which the first humans looked at the Earth from the moon, we know even more about this effect. According to the Nasa website, "the Earth shines because it reflects sunlight and the clouds reflect most of it." Especially in the months of April and May as well as in the northern hemisphere, the earthshine can be seen particularly intensely, as there are more clouds worldwide during this time, which reflect the sunlight more strongly.
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When the moon is only visible as a narrow crescent in the sky, you can see the earthshine – the ashen light in which the rest of the moon is bathed. It is the sunlight that is emitted from the earth and reflected by the moon. © imago images/VWPics
Earthshine can be observed on the narrow crescent moon before and after new moon
The phenomenon of earthshine is best observed in the days immediately before or after the new moon, when the crescent moon is very narrow and does not yet shine strongly. To admire the earthshine, it is recommended to look at the moon just before sunrise or just after sunset, when the sky is already a little darker.
The mystery of earthshine was revealed a long time ago. Leonardo da Vinci explained in his work "Codex Leicester" of about 1510 that the "ghostly glow" of the moon came from the fact that sunlight was reflected from the oceans of the earth and hit the moon. It is amazing that Da Vinci was able to solve the mystery of earthshine as early as the beginning of the 16th century, considering that Nicolaus Copernicus' theory of the heliocentric worldview was published only in 1543.
This article, written by the editors, used machine support. The article was carefully reviewed by editor Tanja Banner before publication.