# Quick! Go out and look at the Moon! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2005, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029 "2005-07-25T09:05:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/1 "2005-07-25T09:05:32Z")
I just stepped outside for some fresh air and I looked at the moon. Wow, I’ve never seen this before. It looked like I was seeing two full moons with one of them looking bluish and transparent half superimposed on the other resulting in the appearance of an oblong moon. What the hell was that? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/2 "2005-07-25T09:37:22Z")
No idea, its 1038 AM here and the sky’s overcast. Would [Badastronomy.com](http://www.badastronomy.com/) have anything to say on the matter? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/3 "2005-07-25T10:21:13Z")
Was there anything at all between your eyes and the moon? Glasses, window, etc. What were the atmospheric conditions at the time? ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/4 "2005-07-25T18:43:02Z")
If you live on the Atlantic coast of the US or in the Carribbean, it could be caused by the [gigantic sand storm](http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2005/07/25/s1b_SAND_0725.html) making it’s way over from Africa. > [@](#): > > As early as today, a dust cloud from the Sahara Desert is expected to settle over much of Florida, a not-uncommon summertime phenomenon that forecasters said could cast a deeper hue to the rising or setting sun or leave a fine film of dust on your car. The massive cloud — **nearly the size of the continental United States** — will likely arrive before Wednesday and dissipate before crossing Florida. Meteorologists said it is not expected to pose any serious health risks. Bolding mine, just because I find the concept freaky. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/5 "2005-07-25T18:48:06Z")
Perhaps what you were seeing was a similar effect common to the sun when partly obscured by clouds. The clouds can cause a double image sometimes called a “mock sun”. Never heard of it happening with the moon, but I guess it can be so! My $0.02 Factual WAG… - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/6 "2005-07-25T19:01:15Z")
Yeah, we know about this, the projector was malfunctioning. Sorry folks, it won’t happen again. Hey…you guys are all cleared for Above Top Secret, right? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/7 "2005-07-25T19:06:31Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s Called “Mock Moon” > > * * * > > Perhaps what you were seeing was a similar effect common to the sun when partly obscured by clouds. The clouds can cause a double image sometimes called a “mock sun”. Never heard of it happening with the moon, but I guess it can be so! > > My $0.02 Factual WAG… > > - Jinx They’re called “paraselenes” or “moon dogs”, and they certainly do occur. But they don’t look at all like the OP’s description: [http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/halo/vmdog.htm](http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/halo/vmdog.htm) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/8 "2005-07-25T21:37:50Z")
The Moon’s not even full right now… wait… are you stuck in a time stream? Cuz time streams will do that sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/9 "2005-07-25T22:33:24Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > The Moon’s not even full right now… It was full on the 21st, so it’s still pretty sizey. As low as it rides in the sky during summer, you can get some [odd colors and distortions.](http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=256032). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-go-out-and-look-at-the-moon/314029/10 "2005-07-25T22:46:06Z")
Here’s a [Double Sunset](http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/atoptics/sundoub.htm) over the Atacama Desert in Chile. Although I’ve never seen the phenomena, the moon is subject to the same atmospheric distortions when it gets near the horizon.