moonshadow
Night's dark twin
A moonshadow is a shadow cast by moonlight rather than sunlight.
Because moonlight is much fainter than sunlight, moonshadows appear only on clear nights when the moon is bright—typically near full.
The word carries poetic associations: We walked through moonshadows on the beach.
Cat Stevens popularized the term with his 1971 song.
Delicate beyond earthly measure
- mysticalOf hidden spiritual significance
- dreamlikeHazy and fantastical
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
transient · fleeting · romantic · wistful · longing · solitude · contemplation · reverie
Of the moon
- silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
- eclipseCelestial body blocks another
- darknessTotal absence of light
- nightfallOnset of darkness
umbra · penumbra · crater · moonrise · twilight · nocturnal · silvery · pale
ethereal
Delicate beyond earthly measure
melancholy · transient · fleeting · romantic · wistful · longing · solitude · contemplation · reverie · whimsy
lunar
Of the moon
- silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
- eclipseCelestial body blocks another
- darknessTotal absence of light
nightfall · umbra · penumbra · crater · moonrise · twilight · nocturnal · silvery · pale · ghostly
silhouette
Filled-in outline shape
- contrastNotable difference between things
- darknessTotal absence of light
- outlineSummary of key elements
chiaroscuro · dappled · projection · cast · falling · elongated · shifting · faint · diffuse · soft