Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day - A Quadruple Alignment over Italy
NASA ^ | 4 Mar, 2025 | Image Credit & Copyright: Valerio Minato

Posted on 03/04/2025 12:10:38 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Why does this Moon look so unusual? A key reason is its vivid red color. The color is caused by the deflection of blue light by Earth's atmosphere -- the same reason that the daytime sky appears blue. The Moon also appears unusually distorted. Its strange structuring is an optical effect arising from layers in the Earth's atmosphere that refract light differently due to sudden differences in temperature or pressure. A third reason the Moon looks so unusual is that there is, by chance, an airplane flying in front. The featured picturesque gibbous Moon was captured about two weeks ago above Turin, Italy. Our familiar hovering sky orb was part of an unusual quadruple alignment that included two historic ground structures: the Sacra di San Michele on the near hill and Basilica of Superga just beyond.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 03/04/2025 12:10:38 PM PST by MtnClimber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 03/04/2025 12:11:00 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

3 posted on 03/04/2025 12:11:27 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

4 posted on 03/04/2025 12:12:07 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Beautiful.

However, I seem to remember a Bible verse talking about the Moon appearing “as blood” during a certain point in our planet’s history. Not a hugely comforting prospect.


5 posted on 03/04/2025 12:20:02 PM PST by AFB-XYZ ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Wow.


6 posted on 03/04/2025 12:20:26 PM PST by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Looks like the Basilica is floating in air.


7 posted on 03/04/2025 12:30:39 PM PST by marktwain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: AFB-XYZ

I have heard of the Northern light appearing as blood red and is considered that this is a sign of bad omens. This appeared in 1939 right before Hitler invaded Poland.
The only time I have seen the Northern Lights was in North Texas one winter morning.


8 posted on 03/04/2025 12:38:51 PM PST by mfish13 (Elections have Consequences.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: mfish13

Sometime during the mid 60’s a friend and his father, and me and my father went on a camping and fishing trip in north western Quebec. The fishing was fantastic, and the weather was perfect. On our last night we were having a fish fry, pike and walleye. Around 11:00 pm the night sky just became a show like I’ve never seen. Brilliant colors swerving and flashing around. We were planning to do a bit of fishing the next morning before packing up. My dad who was from Minnesota and had seen the northern lights many times said, you won’t catch anything until tomorrow or so, after the lights. We tried, but he was right. Not a bite.


9 posted on 03/04/2025 12:57:09 PM PST by Omnivore-Dan (Shut)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Omnivore-Dan

Wild story about the fishing. We were heading out to go duck hunting and do not remember how the hunt went. Maybe the electromagnetic field had something to do with the bad fishing?


10 posted on 03/04/2025 1:12:38 PM PST by mfish13 (Elections have Consequences.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: mfish13

I don’t know, but what was fantastic fishing just went to nothing, not a single strike. I’ve been back there since, a few times and the fishing was excellent as usual.


11 posted on 03/04/2025 1:23:36 PM PST by Omnivore-Dan (Shut)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: mfish13
This appeared in 1939 right before Hitler invaded Poland.

Wow, I had no idea -- thanks for that info! I find that type of stuff fascinating.

12 posted on 03/04/2025 1:46:00 PM PST by AFB-XYZ ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Breath taking !!


13 posted on 03/04/2025 2:23:35 PM PST by Kid Shelleen (Beat your plowshares into swords. Let the weak say I am strong)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Nice.


14 posted on 03/04/2025 5:27:52 PM PST by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson