<p>This effect can be noticed because of several reasons some of which are listed below:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>A thin layer of clouds scatters some of the moonlight. This scattering acts like a natural filter, softening the intense brightness and reducing the glare. When glare is reduced, your eyes can perceive details on the lunar surface more easily, like craters and patches. This scattering can also give the moon a halo effect, further diffusing the light and helping to highlight its surface features.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Under clear skies with a bright full moon, the intense light can overwhelm your eyes' photoreceptors (especially the rods, which are more sensitive to low light). This can cause a &quot;blinding&quot; effect, making it harder to pick out finer details. The slight dimming caused by the clouds allows your eyes to adjust better, improving contrast sensitivity and detail perception.</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-14T11:04:55.513Z
2024-12-16T18:47:19.147Z
2024-12-16T18:47:19.147Z
sheyahi
<p>One day there was a full moon  which i was watching on a clear sky . Then a very thin layer of clouds came one the way . I realised that while this cloud was on the way o could see the moon with more detail rather than totally clear skies since on a clear skies the brightness of the full moon would kinda blind you a little .
Have you ever noticed this ?
Many people have agreed with me and also disagreed. I could find anything about this on internet</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-10T08:56:46.073Z
The Moon is bright, and a sufficiently uniform and thin cloud would reduce glare and increase contrast the same way a gray filter does in a telescope eyepiece. These filters are marketed as "Moon filters."
doubleunary
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-25T14:14:21.767Z
@doubleunary it wouldn't hurt to make that a short answer post so future readers have a higher chance of seeing it. So I'm voting to reopen.
uhoh
<observational-astronomy><the-moon><astrophysics><optics>
How do weather Conditions improve our Moon-Sighting?
Chris Kan
# How do weather Conditions improve our Moon-Sighting?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-09)

One day there was a full moon which i was watching on a clear sky . Then a very thin layer of clouds came one the way . I realised that while this cloud was on the way o could see the moon with more detail rather than totally clear skies since on a clear skies the brightness of the full moon would kinda blind you a little .
Have you ever noticed this ?
Many people have agreed with me and also disagreed. I could find anything about this on internet

**Tags:** observational-astronomy, the-moon, astrophysics, optics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The Moon is bright, and a sufficiently uniform and thin cloud would reduce glare and increase contrast the same way a gray filter does in a telescope eyepiece. These filters are marketed as "Moon filters."  
> **username_2**: @username_1 it wouldn't hurt to make that a short answer post so future readers have a higher chance of seeing it. So I'm voting to reopen.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-12-14. Score: 1

This effect can be noticed because of several reasons some of which are listed below:

1. A thin layer of clouds scatters some of the moonlight. This scattering acts like a natural filter, softening the intense brightness and reducing the glare. When glare is reduced, your eyes can perceive details on the lunar surface more easily, like craters and patches. This scattering can also give the moon a halo effect, further diffusing the light and helping to highlight its surface features.
2. Under clear skies with a bright full moon, the intense light can overwhelm your eyes' photoreceptors (especially the rods, which are more sensitive to low light). This can cause a "blinding" effect, making it harder to pick out finer details. The slight dimming caused by the clouds allows your eyes to adjust better, improving contrast sensitivity and detail perception.


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