Not sure why your comment got downvoted. It's wrong, but raises a good point not previously addressed. Clouds can be thin enough so that their presence is und

Not sure why your comment got downvoted. It's wrong, but raises a good point not previously addressed. Clouds can be thin enough so that their presence is undetectable against the "noisy" surface of the Moon. But that's not what's going on in this photo for two reasons. 1) The clouds are obviously too thick, and 2) the clouds would be illuminated by the Moon, with the brightness falling off exponentially further from the Moon. Also, the Moon's illumination would be the same color as the Moon (barring light pollution).