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Light from the sun is reflected off the moon back to the earth, which is why the moon looks illuminated.
sun-----------------> moon
earth <-------
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoBecause the sun is shining on it.
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Is the moon a luminous object or do you see it because it is illuminated?
You see the moon because it is illuminated. It reflects the sun's light.
What portion of the moon is always illuminated?
Half of the Moon, just like Earth and the other planets, is more or less illuminated all the time. The half that is illuminated is the half that faces the Sun. The illuminated half continually changes as the Moon orbits and revolves. The exception is when the Earth gets between the Moon and the Sun, shading the Moon. (an eclipse).
Right half of moon is illuminated.?
When the right half of the moon is illuminated it would be called first quarter. (That's when you see the Moon from the northern hemisphere.)
When does the gibbous phase of the moon occur?
The gibbous phases of the Moon occur when the visible face of the Moon is more than half illuminated, but not fully illuminated.
Is the moon luminous or illuminated?
The moon is illuminated by the sun. It is not luminous, since it emits no light of its own, only reflected light.
Is 100 percent of the moon being illuminated during the full moon?
No. Only half of the moon is illuminated at any one time. During a full moon, the half facing Earth is fully illuminated.
What illluminates the moon?
The moon is illuminated by the sun.
What is the minimum percent of the moon that needs to be illuminated in order for the phase to be called gibbous?
A "gibbous" Moon has between 51% and 99% of the illuminated side of the Moon visible from Earth. Just to be precise; the Moon is always 50% illuminated. The Moon is a rocky ball, half in sunlight and half in darkness. As the Moon orbits the Earth, the same face of the Moon is always visible. From the Earth, we see "phases" of the Moon as the Moon orbits the Earth. At the new moon phase, the illuminated half of the Moon is the "far side" of the Moon; at the full, the illuminated half is the "near side".
Is the moon a luminous object or do you see it because it is illuminated?
You see the moon because it is illuminated. It reflects the sun's light.
What is Illuminated by night?
The moon. Half moon. OneHalfMoon.
What portion of the moon is always illuminated?
Half of the Moon, just like Earth and the other planets, is more or less illuminated all the time. The half that is illuminated is the half that faces the Sun. The illuminated half continually changes as the Moon orbits and revolves. The exception is when the Earth gets between the Moon and the Sun, shading the Moon. (an eclipse).
Right half of moon is illuminated.?
When the right half of the moon is illuminated it would be called first quarter. (That's when you see the Moon from the northern hemisphere.)
When does the gibbous phase of the moon occur?
The gibbous phases of the Moon occur when the visible face of the Moon is more than half illuminated, but not fully illuminated.
Is the moon luminous or illuminated?
The moon is illuminated by the sun. It is not luminous, since it emits no light of its own, only reflected light.
What side of the moon would have reflected light if it is in a waning phase?
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the left side of the moon is illuminated. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, the right side of the moon is illuminated. Regardless of hemisphere, the western half of the moon is illuminated during the waning moon phases.
What is the change called when the moon phases go from the full moon to the new moon?
A decrease in the illuminated portion of the Moon is called waning. When the illuminated portion is increasing, it is called waxing.
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.
