system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Pictures taken on the lunar surface seem to have a much higher contrast between shadow and light than on the Earth. Is this just me or is it really a thing?
gpt
It's not just you. It's a thing, and that thing is called the atmosphere. When light hits the atmosphere it is scattered somewhat, which means that when light hits the surface of the Earth, it comes from many different directions, not just straight from the sun. That means areas which would be in shadow from the sun are now slightly less in shadow, because they might receive light from some other part of the sky.

This effect is exaggerated in thick cloudy weather, where you can find basically no shadows at all. The light comes from “everywhere.”

If you have ever tried taking photos outside, you will have noticed the difference. Since blue light scatters more than red, the light arriving from parts of the sky other than the solar direction is predominantly blue. This gives shady areas a bluish hue, which is the reason why your camera might have white balance settings like “shade”, “clouds” and “sunlight.”

On the Moon, there is no such effect. Essentially the only way some place on the Moon can be bright is to be in direct sunlight. The Earth might contribute a bit, but maybe not as much as a full moon does here. (?)