When the moon is fully visible to observers on Earth, it is in a phase known as the "full moon." During this phase, the entire illuminated side of the moon faces Earth, allowing us to see its surface details clearly. This occurs roughly once a month and is the result of the moon being positioned directly opposite the sun in relation to Earth. The full moon often appears bright and round in the night sky, captivating observers with its beauty.
The gibbous moon phase is prominent because it occurs when the moon is more than half but not fully illuminated by the sun, making it visually striking in the night sky. This phase represents a transition between the first quarter and full moon phases, making it more noticeable to observers on Earth.
The New Moon phase hides the moon from the Earth because the side of the moon facing the Earth is not lit by the Sun. This phase occurs when the moon is located between the Earth and the Sun and its illuminated side is facing away from us.
Its surface is visible because of how AU's (Astronomical Units) it is away from the Earth.
As long as the observer is some place on the earth, his locationhas essentially no effect on the moon phase that he sees.
That's a Full Moon ... 14.77 days after the New Moon. If the moon also happens to be directly in line with Earth's shadow ... not above it or below it ... then you have a lunar eclipse at the time of the Full Moon.
When the moon is fully visible to observers on Earth, it is called a full moon. This occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned with the Earth in the middle, causing the moon to be fully illuminated by the sun.
Full moon
Full Moon
When the moon is fully visible to observers on Earth, it is said to be at its full moon phase. This occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in a straight line, with the Earth in between the sun and moon. The full moon appears as a complete circle and is the brightest phase of the moon.
The moon is visible to us because it reflects the sun's light.
When the moon is not visible to observers on Earth, it is likely in its new moon phase. During this time, the side of the moon facing Earth is not illuminated by the sun, making it appear dark and invisible from our perspective.
This is known as a full moon, which occurs when the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, with its fully illuminated side facing us. Full moons happen roughly once a month as the moon completes its orbit around Earth.
One side of the moon (the Earth facing side) becomes fully visible at Full Moon.
The moon is between the sun and earth and reflects light back toward the sun
The moon is between the sun and earth and reflects light back toward the sun
The moon is between the sun and earth and reflects light back toward the sun
Moonrise is the time when the moon appears above the horizon and becomes visible to observers on Earth. Moonset is the time when the moon disappears below the horizon and is no longer visible to observers on Earth. These events occur once a day, just like sunrise and sunset.