Brain Teasers
Moonlight
Several people were out in total darkness, except for the light of the full moon. Also, they were bathed in sunlight. How is this possible?
Answer
This is possible because the moon doesn't give off its own light, but it instead reflects the light of the sun. So this means moonlight is actually reflected sunlight.Hide Answer Show Answer
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For those who have a 5th grade science education this teaser was easy I hope . But those of you who are not smarter than a 5th grader .
3rd teaser ever
3rd teaser ever
Saying that the moon's light really sunlight is like saying that my blue jeans radiate sunlight - I just don't buy it. The atoms on the moon actually absorb the sunlight and then emit the energy back out again. This is why we see the moon as white and the sun as yellow. If it was truly reflected, then it would also be yellow.
The point is that the light the moon gives off originates from the sun.
And here I thought that it was late in the day when the sun was still out but when the moon was visible. And then they would have the moonlight AND the sunlight shining on them. Oh well, I guess I was wrong.
For clarification:
"Saying that the moon's light really sunlight is like saying that my blue jeans radiate sunlight..."
Blue jeans reflect sunlight just like the moon does. This reflected sunlight is what we see.
"This is why we see the moon as white and the sun as yellow. If it was truly reflected, then it would also be yellow."
Visible light is a spectrum of colours, think of a rainbow. White light is a combination of all of these colours (sunlight is white, I think it's the earth's atmosphere that gives the sun a yellow appearance). When sunlight hits an object some of this light is absorbed by the object and some of it is reflected back from the object. It is the light that isn't absorbed but that is reflected back that we end up seeing. So blue jeans will absorb all visible light except blue which ends up getting reflected - hence the jeans appear blue.
I hope that clears things up.
"Saying that the moon's light really sunlight is like saying that my blue jeans radiate sunlight..."
Blue jeans reflect sunlight just like the moon does. This reflected sunlight is what we see.
"This is why we see the moon as white and the sun as yellow. If it was truly reflected, then it would also be yellow."
Visible light is a spectrum of colours, think of a rainbow. White light is a combination of all of these colours (sunlight is white, I think it's the earth's atmosphere that gives the sun a yellow appearance). When sunlight hits an object some of this light is absorbed by the object and some of it is reflected back from the object. It is the light that isn't absorbed but that is reflected back that we end up seeing. So blue jeans will absorb all visible light except blue which ends up getting reflected - hence the jeans appear blue.
I hope that clears things up.
Thank you very much for the thorough explanation
The sun is white, like all other stars i think.
Red Giants are an orange and red mix. Google the sun on images too.
For the clearup: the sun is yellow. It turns different colours according to the temperature. It'll go red eventually.
Anyway, I like this brainteaser, it's fairly simple. And best of all, I got the answer first go!!!
Anyway, I like this brainteaser, it's fairly simple. And best of all, I got the answer first go!!!
I got it.. Nice teaser
I GOT IT
very nice. It took me a second, but I got it.
Wouldn't really say they were 'bathed' in sunlight
Mar 18, 2009
True that moonlight is reflected sunlight.
But it is NOT the same type of light. The reflection polarizes the moonlight.
So the "blue jeans" example is not off the mark.
But it is NOT the same type of light. The reflection polarizes the moonlight.
So the "blue jeans" example is not off the mark.
Except that the "blue jeans" could be illuminated by any light source... including incandescent light bulbs.
To the person above me, I'm sure if we strung up a bunch of incandescent bulbs on the moon, it would illuminate it too. Just trying to say that the first person actually had a point. You just can't call moonlight reflected sunlight.
Aug 04, 2011
I think what many are saying is that the term "sunlight" implies direct rays which differ from those reflected off the surface of the moon. Like many puzzles here this is semantics, not science.
My answer is that they were astronauts in space. So they would be in a position where they could receive light from both the sun and the moon.
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