Why is the moon only visible by the sunlight it reflects?

Answer 1

This "reflection" thing has confused a lot of people.

The whole point is that the moon doesn't shine with its own light, so you

can't see it unless something else shines on it and lights it up.

Just like rocks on a table in a dark room. If you want to see them, you need

a flashlight.

The moon is a big rock out there circling the earth. You can't see it unless something

shines on it and lights it up. The only flashlight in the solar system is the sun.

Answer 2

Light from the sun, like light from all stars, is produced through a nuclear fusion reaction inside the star. The moon, which obviously isn't a star, reflects the sun's light because its rocy, dusty, surface is very reflective. The main reason the moon does not give out it's own light is because is does not have a source. To produce light it needs fuel. The moon can only reflect light (which we can see) when it is facing towards us and on the backside side of the earth. The moon is like a big mirror. To trial this, use a light, a basket ball and a small cosmetic mirror. Put the light on a bench, then hold the basket ball about a meter or 2 away. Now using the mirror pointing towards the basket ball, move it around the basket ball and you will see how it reflects. (remember when the mirror is between the light and the basket ball, the backside of the mirror will be facing the light). The only reason you can see the moon durning the daylight hours is because it is actually blocking the sunlight, not reflecting it. (in saying that however, there would be a small amount of reflection from the moon edges that are closest to the sun). Actually I am slightly wrong here, the moon will reflect some of the light that is reflected from the earth. Hope this helps answer your question. Kevin.

Answer 3

Let's not get hung up on this "reflection" concept. The whole thing is just a fancy way of saying that the moon
doesn't shine, so when you're in a dark room with it, you can't see it. In order to avoid bumping into it as you
grope around, you have to shine a flashlight on it. Similarly, when it's up in the sky, you can't see it until somebody
shines a flashlight on it. The sun is just that big flashlight.

Answer 4

People keep getting hung up on this "reflection" thing, and the result is that a lot of

easy understanding of a simple process gets lost.

If you are in the dark with a rock in your hand, you can't see the rock unless you shine

some kind of flashlight on it.

We are in the dark, with a big rock that always stays near us, which we call the moon.

We can't see it unless some kind of flashlight shines on it and lights it up for us.

The sun is the only flashlight around, and the sun is the only reason we're able to see

any of the rocks or other things that make up the whole solar system.

Answer 5

The Moon does not emit any light of its own, therefore we can only see the sunlight that is reflected from it.

Answer 6

The Sun does not reflect the moon. The moon reflects the Sun's light.

Answer 7

the earths shadow is covering the unilluminated part so the sun is illuminating the rest

Answer 8

the moon is really high in space and the amount of light going to the moon would be hard not to reflect

Answer 9

Yes, that is correct.

Answer 10

Yes ma'am!! ;)