Quick answer: Over the course of a lunar cycle, you are observing the lunar day (exactly equal to the length of a lunar cycle of phases) unfolding on the moon's surface.
[Some wrongly believe that the changing appearance of the moon has something to do with the earth's shadow on the moon; it does not. The earth's shadow is involved only during a lunar eclipse.]
Actually, the Moon appears larger when it is at the horizon. This is every time you happen to see it near the horizon, but it is only an illusion.Actually, the Moon appears larger when it is at the horizon. This is every time you happen to see it near the horizon, but it is only an illusion.Actually, the Moon appears larger when it is at the horizon. This is every time you happen to see it near the horizon, but it is only an illusion.Actually, the Moon appears larger when it is at the horizon. This is every time you happen to see it near the horizon, but it is only an illusion.
A new moon
The angle between the moon, the Earth, and the sun changes over a month, and since we only see the side of the moon that is reflecting the sun's light, it seems that the moon appears differently.
Eris's moon Dysnomia, appears to be made of material similar to Eris and Eris appears almost grey.
The phases of the moon are The phases of the moon appear to change because the earth rotates on it's axis and the moon orbits the earth. The sunlight hits a different part of the moon that is visible to us. Half of the moon is always lit up, you just can't always see it.
the moon appears to change shapes because you only see the part of it that reflects sunlight THAT YOU CAN SEE. so of the 1/2 of the moon that is illuminated, you only see part of it, the part changing as the moon orbits the earth.
It doesn't. The molten core of the moon has long since cooled off and solidified. The moon appears to change its shape depending where it is relative to the sun and the earth. For example, a new moon (completely dark) occurs when the sun is shining on the other side of the moon. The crescent moon appears one week later as the moon travels round the earth and we see a little bit of the illuminated side.
Actually, the Moon appears larger when it is at the horizon. This is every time you happen to see it near the horizon, but it is only an illusion.Actually, the Moon appears larger when it is at the horizon. This is every time you happen to see it near the horizon, but it is only an illusion.Actually, the Moon appears larger when it is at the horizon. This is every time you happen to see it near the horizon, but it is only an illusion.Actually, the Moon appears larger when it is at the horizon. This is every time you happen to see it near the horizon, but it is only an illusion.
The moon does not change shapes. The shadow of the earth on the moon changes how much of it you can see.Another viewpoint: I think this question is about the "phases" of the Moon.The Moon only appears to change shape during its different phases.Exactly one half of the Moon is in sunlight at any time. The phases occur because the Moon orbits Earth. That causes us to see different amounts of the sunlit Moon, and so its shape seems to change.
the moon appears smaller to some people it's just the way it is looked apon see i see the moon at a cercomfrance or 80 what do you think?
the moon appears to be the shape that it is because of how the sun reflex on it from other side of the world
You can see the moon when it is not full. The sun lights up part of the moon, but if you look carefully when the moon is not full, you can see the darker parts. This is easier when only a small part of the moon appears to be lit, as a brighter moon glares out the darker part making it harder to see.
The moon doesn't change,it rotates like earth.The sun reflects off the moon and makes the 8 phases.This is Aleeza (10 year old) CHOW!
when the moon waxes, the portion that we can see appears to get bigger, but it actually stays the same.
Sometimes, the clouds can be dark and hard to see; or perhaps you looked up on a new Moon, when it appears as if the moon isn't there.
Sometimes, it's simply just too cloudy to see the moon. Sometimes, there's a lunar eclipse, and for x minutes, the moon appears to not exist.
What changes from days to day is the amount of sunlight we see on the moon. As the moon orbits the earth and the earth orbits the sun, the sun hits the moon at a different angle in relation to the earth.