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Why does the illuminated part of the Moon appear to change shape to us on Earth?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
The shape of the moon changes to us on Earth because of the position that the Sun, Moon, and Earth are in at the time. If the Sun, Moon, and Earth are at a 180o angle withe the moon and sun on the out side then we will have a new moon because the earth will be blocking all the light away from the moon.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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Why does the illuminated part of the moon appear to change shape?
Because the earth blocks part of the light coming from the sun so only part of the moon is alluminated, causing it to look like it is changing shape.
Why does the earth appear to change shape as it orbits the earth?
The earth can not orbit it's self. Orbit means one body going around another.
What does the moon go through as it goe's around the earth?
The sun shines on it at different places making it appear to change shape.
Does the moon appear to change shape because of the Earth's shadow on the moon?
No. The earth's shadow on the moon is a lunar eclipse. The moon appears to change shape depending on which part of orbit the earth is in. The sun is almost always shining on one half of the moon (excluding during a lunar eclipse).
What causes the moon to appear to change shape over a lunar month?
It is simply the shadow of the earth over the moon. When none of the earth's shadow covers the moon, it is a full moon.
Why does the illuminated part of the moon appear to change shape?
Because the earth blocks part of the light coming from the sun so only part of the moon is alluminated, causing it to look like it is changing shape.
What is the moon and why does it appear to change shape?
The Moon is rocky body in orbit round the Earth. Its appearance changes nightly because as it orbits the Earth the amount of its surface we can see illuminated by the Sun changes because of our angle of view.
Why does the earth appear to change shape as it orbits the earth?
The earth can not orbit it's self. Orbit means one body going around another.
What does the moon go through as it goe's around the earth?
The sun shines on it at different places making it appear to change shape.
Why does the Moon's appearance chages though a month?
As the moon circles the Earth, the shape of the moon appears to change; this is because different amounts of the illuminated part of the moon are facing us. The shape varies from a full moon (when the Earth is between the sun and the moon) to a new moon (when the moon is between the sun and the Earth).
Why does the moon seem to change shape from night to night?
What changes is the part of the Moon that is illuminated. We see the illuminated part of the Moon better than the dark part.
Does The shape of the moon change because the earth blocks light from the sun?
The shape of the bright image of the moon changes for that very reason. At times the remaining dark part may be faintly illuminated due to sunlight or moonlight reflected from the Earth to the Moon (and back to the observer). The actual shape of the Moon is not known to be affected by light.
Does the moon appear to change shape because of the Earth's shadow on the moon?
No. The earth's shadow on the moon is a lunar eclipse. The moon appears to change shape depending on which part of orbit the earth is in. The sun is almost always shining on one half of the moon (excluding during a lunar eclipse).
What causes the moon to appear to change shape over a lunar month?
It is simply the shadow of the earth over the moon. When none of the earth's shadow covers the moon, it is a full moon.
What causes the moon to change its shape over the course of about a month?
The moon does not really change shape- its visible outline changes. This is due to the angle of sunlight falling on the moon in relation to the earth. If the sunlight is shining at a 90 degree angle from one side, then half the moon is illuminated and visible, half is dark.
What causes half of the moon cycle to happen?
Every month as the Moon cycles through its phases it appears to change shape. The Moon always has the same spherical shape, but stargazers on Earth see different fractions of the dark and illuminated portions of the Moon as the Moon orbits Earth. The common urban myth that Earth's shadow falling on the Mooncauses lunar phases is incorrect.
Why the visible moons shape changes?
Only the half of the moon that is illuminated by sunlight will be visible; the other half is dark. Because the relative positions of the Earth, moon, and sun are always changing, the viewer on Earth will see varying amounts of the illuminated half of the moon.
