As Halloween season is upon us the favored color is orange. Even the moon as it rose over the city of Seattle skyline on Saturday Oct. 15.

The orange hue is due to the scattering of light by the atmosphere. When the moon is closer to the horizon, the light has to pass through more atmosphere than when the moon is directly overhead. By the time the moonlight reaches your eyes, the green, blue, and purple pieces of visible light have been scattered away by air molecules. You only see yellow, orange, or red. Atmospheric haze, caused by pollution (smoke or particulate matter) can enhance this effect.

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