Why is the moon so bright? Like all solid celestial bodies in the solar system, the moon is lit by the sun's light. The moon's light we perceive is actually a reflection of the sun's rays that strike the lunar surface.
Unlike a lamp or the sun, the moon does not generate its own light. Even though it often seems to shine extremely bright, the moon just reflects between 3 to 12 % of the sunlight that reaches it.
As seen from Earth, the moon's luminosity is dependent on the moon's position in its rotation around the planet. The moon orbits the Earth once every 29.5 days, and along its voyage, the sun illuminates it from various angles.
But you may wonder if the moon is made of rock and how it might reflect sunlight. Therefore, we have provided an explanation for this in the section below.
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Why is the moon so bright?
How does the moon reflect light if it is a rock?
The quantity of sunlight falling on a moon that is reflected is determined by the elements in its surface and atmosphere and also the roughness of its surface. Ancient volcanoes, craters, and lavas reflect the light off the moon's surface.
Compared to other celestial bodies, the moon is not very bright since it is made of rock and cannot shine on its own.
Moreover, it only appears bright in the evening sky due to its proximity to the Earth and the relative darkness of the surrounding forests, buildings, and fields. Indeed, the moon is one of the solar system's least reflective objects.
The different phases of the moon, like full or quarter moon, are caused by how the moon travels around the Earth and how the Earth moves around the sun simultaneously.
When the moon is 180 degrees away from the sun, it is at its brightest. Half of the moon's surface towards the sun is visible from Earth at this hour. This is called a full moon.
In contrast, the new moon is when the moon is not visible from Earth. This occurs when the moon is between the sun and Earth; therefore, the side reflecting sunlight faces away from Earth.