All the Colours of the Moon

In celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the moon landing, over the coming weeks we will be looking at the moon and other astronomical delights.

We have all heard the saying…"all the colours of the rainbow"…but what about all the colours of the moon…it has been described as blue, pink, strawberry, orange, blood red, yellow, white, silvery, black to name a few.

Blue Moon, is generally referred to when there are two full moons in one month

The name Pink Moon comes from the pink flowers – phlox – that bloom in spring in the Northern Hemisphere…a nickname given that some astronomers have not even heard it called.

Orange/Yellow The reason for the orange colour is due to the scattering of light in the atmosphere and can be affected if there is a lot of dust, smoke, or pollution in the around. The painting below is by Johannes Carolus Bernardus Sluijters, (or otherwise known as Jan Slyuters) a Dutch painter that I think deserves a closer look another time.

Red or blood moon happens when Earth's moon is in a total lunar eclipse.

There have been so many songs with Moon in their title, too numerous to mention, but fun to have a look at this link ranking 150 of the all-time favourites, I think you will be amazed at how many you recall…

https://www.ranker.com/list/songs-about-the-moon/ranker-music

“The moon is a loyal companion.It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.”     ―      Tahereh Mafi,        Shatter Me