A totally eclipsed moon glows coppery red because
A) the moon surface is made of iron ore which is red in color.
B) red light is cooler than blue light.
C) during a lunar eclipse the sun is cooler than normal and its light is more red.
D) only red light is able to pass completely through Earth s atmosphere and reach the moon.
E) the moon appears red during a total solar eclipse, not a total lunar eclipse.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth's atmosphere scatters blue light, while allowing red light to pass through and reach the surface of the moon, giving it a coppery red glow. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the moon, but some of the sunlight is bent around the Earth by its atmosphere and reaches the moon's surface. The Earth's atmosphere scatters shorter wavelengths of light (blue and green) more than longer wavelengths (red), which means that the red light is able to pass through the atmosphere and reach the moon, casting a coppery red glow on its surface. Therefore, only red light is able to pass completely through Earth's atmosphere and reach the moon during a lunar eclipse, making choice D the best answer.

A Totally Eclipsed Moon Glows Coppery Red Because