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Obviously the question is incomplete.

However, the explanation for the apparent changes is simply that the Moon orbits the Earth.

The Moon does not give off any light of its own.

It reflects the Sun's light and so only the hemisphere facing the Sun is illuminated.

The Moon slowly rotates (as it orbits the Earth) and the area of the Moon that is in sunlight changes, but it's always just half of the Moon that's lit.

The Moon always shows the same side to us on Earth, because it rotates exactly once every time it orbits us.

As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see different amounts of the Moon's illuminated hemisphere and the Moon appears to change shape.

So, for example we only see the full Moon phase when the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun.

Use "related link" below for more details. Click on the link and then click on the heading "Moon Phases Explained".

(Note: There is also a small effect caused by the fact that the Earth and Moon are orbiting the Sun. That means the phases take a bit longer than one Moon orbit of Earth.)

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11y ago

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