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Credit & Copyright: Steven Madow
Explanation:
Can a rocket make the Moon ripple?
No, but it can make a background moon appear
wavy.
The rocket, in this case, was a
SpaceX
Falcon Heavy that blasted off from
NASA's
Kennedy Space Center last week.
In the
featured launch picture,
the rocket's exhaust plume glows beyond its projection
onto the distant, rising, and nearly full moon.
Oddly, the Moon's lower edge shows
unusual drip-like ripples.
The Moon itself,
far in the distance, was really unchanged.
The physical cause of these
apparent ripples
was pockets of relatively hot or rarefied air
deflecting moonlight less strongly than
pockets of relatively cool or compressed air:
refraction.
Although the shot was planned, the timing of
the launch
had to be just right for the rocket to be
transiting the Moon during this single exposure.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: rocket - Moon
Publications with words: rocket - Moon
See also: