My neighbor swore a full moon made his telescope shots blurry...

He told me to wait 3 days after the full moon for crystal clear photos, and I laughed it off until I tried it last month and my Orion Nebula shots came out way better with less atmospheric haze. Anybody else's old-timer give you some superstition that actually worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

finley7771mo ago

Extra moonlight causes heat distortion" - that's what I'm calling my excuse next time I overcook a steak on the grill. But seriously, I used to think my grandpa was just making up nonsense when he said not to use a chainsaw during a full moon because the wood gets "sappy and weird." Turned out he meant the extra moisture in the air from the moon's pull makes the cutting tougher and the saw bind up more often. Your neighbor probably heard the same thing about the heat rising off the ground, not just the moonlight itself. Full moons warm the ground a tiny bit more at night, so you get that shimmering effect like on a hot road. Funny how old folks figure stuff out long before science bothers to explain it.

paige_martin1mo ago

I read a scientist say the extra moonlight causes heat distortion in the atmosphere.

coleman.jamie10d ago

Hold on, the moon actually warms the ground at night? I never knew that was even possible. That explains a lot about some of my night shots.