im in middle sckool so tell me in an easy way.
2006-09-16 06:06:06 · 21 answers · asked by ernie 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The answer is the same reason that the Earth has a day and night. As a sphere, the Moon can have only one half of its shape lit by the Sun at any time. Try to light up more than half of a ball with a flashlight -- it is impossible! Since the Moon goes around the Earth, we have the unique vantage point of being able to at times see the lit and unlit parts at the same time. While trying to light that ball with the flashlight, have a student look at the side of the ball 90° from the lit part, or where the ball appears to only be half lit. The combination of the Moon's period of orbit around the Earth and the direction of the sunlight gives us the monthly change in vantage points, which we call phases, of the Moon.
2006-09-16 06:11:08 · answer #1 · answered by sting 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the sun can only shine on one side of the moon at a time. Each point on the moon is dark for half the Lunar day (@28 Earth days) as the moon rotates on its axis. Since the moon revolves around the Earth, we are exposed to the dark (fully shadowed) side of the moon during the night of the 'new moon'. Of course, it's difficult to 'see' the new moon, since it's only illuminated by 'earthshine', sunlight reflected from the Earth.
Another sense of 'dark side of the moon' is related to the expression 'darkest Africa' meaning least explored, or unknown. Since the moon revolves around the Earth at the same rate that it rotates on its axis, the same face of the moon is always pointed at us. Hence the far side of the moon was, until spacecraft orbited the moon and sent/brought back picture of it, known as the 'dark side of the moon'.
2006-09-16 13:34:16 · answer #2 · answered by Bob G 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
hey what up?
1: school, not sckool :D 2: the rays of the sun reflect off the earth's surface and hit the moon that way. the moon really doesn't reflect the sun's rays. that's why the side of the moon we see is light and the other side is dark.
the moon rotates just as the earth does, but it's rotation is in a way that makes us see only one side of the moon. that is, it's rotation is almost equal to our month. that is, it rotates around it's axis once a month.
2006-09-16 13:11:36 · answer #3 · answered by Moe A 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The sun light hits only one part of the moon leaving the other part dark
2006-09-16 14:54:14 · answer #4 · answered by Rocky Balboa 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The way the moon revolves around the Earth leaves one side dark and one side light.
2006-09-16 13:08:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The time of rotation of moon around the earth is almost equal to the self rotation based on its axis.So we see the brightening side of moon than the other side.
2006-09-16 13:58:16 · answer #6 · answered by elephant 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have somebody face you all the time while you shine a flash light at them and while you stand in 1 spot the other person walks around you and keep the light on him/her and turn with them,you'll see light only on the front of that person,never on their back,thats why we have the dark side of the moon
2006-09-16 13:12:20 · answer #7 · answered by steve 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The dark side of the moon never faces Earth. It revolves keeping the same side towards us at all times. The Astronauts who first visited the moon and circled it were the first humans to see the 'Dark Side'.............
2006-09-16 13:10:25 · answer #8 · answered by thomasrobinsonantonio 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the moon doesn't shine by its own light in the sky. it reflects the sun's light toward the Earth. depending on where the moon is in its orbit, we see varying portions of the illuminated half of the moon. hope that helps!
2006-09-16 19:40:58 · answer #9 · answered by confuzzed.. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of the lunar rotation we always see the same side of the moon.
2006-09-17 01:39:47 · answer #10 · answered by pelister56 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋