Our Solar System ________________________________________________________________ 15. Phases of the Moon
Figure 10.32 Phases of the MoonWe always see the same side of the moon, because as the moon revolves around the Earth, the moon rotates so that the same side is always facing the Earth.
The Moon looks a little different every night. This happens because the Sun lights up different parts of the Moon as the Moon moves in its orbit. This is called the phase of the Moon.
Half of the Moon’s surface is always illuminated by sunlight. As the Moon orbits Earth, it changes how much of the lit-up side we can see.
The moon still looks a little different every night.
- Sometimes the entire face glows brightly.
- Sometimes we can only see a thin crescent.
- Other times the moon seems to disappear entirely.
As the bright parts of the moon appear to change shape during the month, each stage of the change is called a phase, and each phase carries its own name.