Sometimes, however, a moth tries to orient its flight path according to a nearby light. Because light sources on the Earth are much closer than the moon, the moth's angle relative to the light source changes as the moth moves. The result is an erratic flight pattern that sends the moth in a spiral towards the light. If the light source is a fire, the moth will often fly close enough to the flames to become singed. Whether a moth will be confused by a porchlight depends on the intensity of the light from the moon.
Fewer moths hang around porchlights on nights with a full moon.