# Why was the moon so bright yesterday morning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990 "2012-01-10T00:44:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990/21 "2012-01-10T21:02:29Z")
For the record, solar flares have negligible effect on the total visible-light luminosity of the Sun. What’s described in Niven’s “Inconstant Moon” (incidentally, my choice for best science-fiction short story ever), if it were to happen, would be considered a nova, not a flare. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990/22 "2012-01-10T21:12:52Z")
The moon’s an arrant thief and her pale fire she snatches from the sun. OP answered. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990/23 "2012-01-11T02:15:13Z")
No, the moon’s a harsh mistress. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990/24 "2012-01-11T17:53:02Z")
> [@brocks](#): > > In fact, the moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gives a luster of midday to objects below. I always figured this was poetic license until I went for a walk in some snowy woods under a full moon. It wasn’t like midday, but it was definitely more like day than night. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990/25 "2012-01-11T21:36:39Z")
Of course, acclimation of the eyes also plays a large role. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990/26 "2012-01-11T23:37:35Z")
I read once, may even have been here, that the reason the myth of “lunacy” emerged, that people go slightly nuttier during a full moon, is simply because, pre-electricity, more people were out and about during those nights, the light being clear enough for wider travel, so the odds of noticing something weird increase. More people doing weird things, more people seeing weird things, - full moon is responsible. Well, indirectly, apparently so. ---
**Author:** ![kevinnash123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/85f322/32.png) [@kevinnash123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevinnash123)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990/27 "2012-01-12T10:38:39Z")
I saw that Outer Limits episode. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-moon-so-bright-yesterday-morning/608990.md?page=1)