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when the moon waxes, the portion that we can see appears to get bigger, but it actually stays the same.

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What is the waxing and waning of the moon?

Waxing is when the moons illumination gets bigger. Waning is when the moons illumination gets smaller. As the moon orbits the earth, what you see from earth, is the moon reflecting sunlight. This changes from day to day. Starting with a thin sliver, it gets larger (Waxes) until it is a full moon. Then it gets smaller (wanes) until it goes to a sliver again and then not visible (new moon). This cycle repeats over 28 days.


How does the moon waxes for two weeks then wanes for two weeks?

The moon orbits the Earth and makes a full revolution in a period of about 28 days. Since the moon does not produce it's own light, one side of the moon is always in sunlight at any given time. During the first two weeks of the lunar month (starting from New Moon), more of the sunlit portion can be seen from Earth - this is called "waxing". During the other two weeks, less of the sunlit portion can be seen from Earth and we refer to this as "waning".


When the moon waxes during its lunar cycle the amount of its sunlight portion that you see apperas to increase in size?

When the bright part of the moon appears to be larger, it is said to waxing. When the moon appears to be getting smaller, it is waning.


Does the moon gets more light from the sun than the earth does?

Since the moon does not have an atmosphere, the sunlight that reaches the surface of the moon is more intense than the sunlight that reaches the surface of the Earth after passing through the Earth's atmosphere.


How or why does orange moon occur?

The moon will look orange during a total lunar eclipse, this is because the moon is in Earth's shadow and the sunlight reaching the moon gets bent (directed to Earth then to the moon).

Related Questions

What is the waxing and waning of the moon?

Waxing is when the moons illumination gets bigger. Waning is when the moons illumination gets smaller. As the moon orbits the earth, what you see from earth, is the moon reflecting sunlight. This changes from day to day. Starting with a thin sliver, it gets larger (Waxes) until it is a full moon. Then it gets smaller (wanes) until it goes to a sliver again and then not visible (new moon). This cycle repeats over 28 days.


What is the definition of waxes and wanes?

waxes: gets larger, growswanes: gets smaller, diminishes in sizeThe terms are most familiarly used to refer to the phases of the moon. The moon is said to be waxing when is goes from new moon to full moon, and after the full moon we say it wanesuntil it reaches the end of the cycle at the next new moon.


The portion of sunlight reflected by the Moon's surface is called?

"Moonlight".


What portion of the moon is lit during the full moon phase?

The half of the moon that faces earth is in full sunlight.


How does the moon waxes for two weeks then wanes for two weeks?

The moon orbits the Earth and makes a full revolution in a period of about 28 days. Since the moon does not produce it's own light, one side of the moon is always in sunlight at any given time. During the first two weeks of the lunar month (starting from New Moon), more of the sunlit portion can be seen from Earth - this is called "waxing". During the other two weeks, less of the sunlit portion can be seen from Earth and we refer to this as "waning".


What does the moon do all in a month?

Waxes and wanes


How does the moon change shape and put it in small words?

the moon waxes (gets full) and wanes (gets thin) because of the position of its 28 day orbit around the earth. The as the moon orbits, the sun reflects off more or less of it, so you see more or less of it.


Does the sunlit portion of the moon always face the Earth?

Yes, but different portions (size of area) of the moon reflect sunlight throughout the moon cycles which causes the moon to change shape.


When the moon waxes during its lunar cycle the amount of its sunlight portion that you see apperas to increase in size?

When the bright part of the moon appears to be larger, it is said to waxing. When the moon appears to be getting smaller, it is waning.


Does the moon gets more light from the sun than the earth does?

Since the moon does not have an atmosphere, the sunlight that reaches the surface of the moon is more intense than the sunlight that reaches the surface of the Earth after passing through the Earth's atmosphere.


How or why does orange moon occur?

The moon will look orange during a total lunar eclipse, this is because the moon is in Earth's shadow and the sunlight reaching the moon gets bent (directed to Earth then to the moon).


How much of the moon is lighted by sunlight?

At any given moment, only 50% of the moon is exposed to sunlight (just like the earth), assuming there is no lunar eclipse ocurring. However, over the course of a month, the entire lunar surface will be exposed to sunlight.