full moon half moon?

Question

i dont understand the full moon half moon thing when its a half moon is there something in its way if its all clear shouldent it be a full moon all the time

Answer 1

Half of the moon is always lit up by the sun and half of it is dark, but the amount of the lit half we can see varies. When the moon is between Earth and the sun, the lit half of the moon faces directly away from Earth and it's a new moon. When Earth is between the moon and the sun, the lit half of the moon is facing earth and it's a full moon. The moon's orbit is slightly tilted so the Earth doesn't usually come directly between the moon and the sun. Sometimes it does, and then we have a lunar eclipse.

Answer 2

The Phases of the moon are not caused by shadows or anything blocking the light of the sun. The light that comes from the moon is just sunlight that has been reflected off the moons surface. The moon is always oriented so the side we see during a full moon is facing the sun. When the earth is between the sun and the moon we see a full moon. When the moon is between earth and the sun we see a new moon because the side reflecting light is facing away from us. When you see any other phase of the moon it is somewhere off of the imaginary line between the earth and the sun.

If you are still having trouble grasping this, imagine the moon was flat like a piece of paper. Number the sides 1 and 2. If side 1 always faced the sun then a full moon is when you can see all of side 1. A new moon is when you can see all of side 2. and a half moon would be like looking at the paper on edge. If you use an actual piece of paper and keep side one facing a stationary point while you move it around your head you will see different phases similar to what happens when the moon orbits the earth.

Answer 3

Starting with the full moon - A day or two before the "full moon" you will see the
moon rise just before sunset. At full moon it will rise as the sun sets, and of course
after the sun sets as the time goes on. Each night after, notice how the light on the
moon shrinks from full to last quarter and then to nothing (a 2 week time period).
Also during this time you will notice the moon "traveling" closer to the sun.
Two weeks from full moon (day may vary) look for the sliver of the moon just before sunset.
As the moon moves into NEW moon and you cannot see at all, watch for it to become noticable
as a sliver in the other direction as the sun sets. Follow the light on the moon as
it expands to first quarter and then to full. So you can actually see the moon and the sun
at the same time virtually most of the month.

Answer 4

The moon has day and night just like we do.

Our view of the Moon isn't obscured. As the moon moves around its orbit we get different views of day and night on the moon.

When we see day on the moon - it is a full moon.

If we have a view of night time on the moon - we see only darkness and cannot see the moon - this is a new moon.

Half moons are when we see half day and half night on the moon.

All the other moon shapes are created in the same way.

Answer 5

It's the shadow of the earth getting in the way, blocking out the light of the sun (it's the reflected light of the sun which makes the moon visible). The relative orbit of earth round sun, moon round earth etc, changes during the month. I know that's not a very scientific answer but it's what I seem to remember my dad telling me! What always blew my mind was how the moon controls the tides, now that's something I find wierd.

Answer 6

Full Moon.

Answer 7

Hi. The Moon IS always full but only half of it is lit by sunlight during half Moon..

Answer 8

No. The full moon means it's where the most light reflects off the sun. But it can never be truly full (100 gibbous, what I call 90 gibbous), because then it would be a lunar eclipse and it would be 0 crescent.

Answer 9

Moon is always full, but the earth spins, it depends on how and when we view the moon full or half. That is what it is.

Answer 10

It s September 21 at 12:00 am