The Maine coast feels wild tonight. Loud, warm winds are swaying our tall oaks and spruces and churning the waves of Western Bay. The red moon isn't actually a sign that the weather is changing, as tradition holds, but big storms are coming. Wooster will be on the bed with us soon, shaking at the lightning and thunder. But for now, the dog's asleep and the moon is beautiful.
For all the folklore and superstition about red moons, of course, the truth lies in simple science. It's the same principle that explains spectacular sunsets: particles in the air (pollution, quite often) causing a portion of the light rays to scatter but letting the red portion of the rays come through. If the air were truly clear, we might see a red moon only once in a blue moon.