Why does the moon appear to change shape?

Question

Can someone explain really concisely please. I realise that onlty one half reflects the suns light, but why does it appear to change shape?

I mean the phases of the moon

Answer 1

It is utterly astounding how many people actually think the phases of the moon are caused by Earth's shadow. I did not know so many people were that poorly informed.

Let's see how many people we can reach with this: THE PHASES OF THE MOON HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE EARTH'S SHADOW!!!

Ok hopefully that helped... Anyway, the apparant "shape" is called a phase. It is caused by the fact that one half of the moon (just like the Earth) is illuminated by the sun, and the moon orbits around the Earth, so how much of that day side we see changes over the course of a lunation (a "month" approximately). To demonstrate this to yourself, take a small ball and go outside with it on a sunny day. Hold it out in front of yourself and then slowly turn yourself around and watch the shape of the sunlit side of the ball you can see changes. This will hopefully explain it.

Answer 2

3

Answer 3

Because the moon orbits the earth. Since only one side can face the sun (we don't have two suns!), we see the moon go through "phases" as it moves around the earth. If the moon is between the sun and the earth, we can't see any of it since the day side of the moon is pointing away from us, if the moon is behind the earth, we can see whole moon like how you'd see a wall lit up by a lightbulb if you turned away from the bulb.

Answer 4

Go onto a dark room with one light source and a ball. Pretend that you are Earth and hold the ball out at arms length and move it around you. Then you'll understand what you call "shapes" of the moon and what we see here on Earth. It's all about the positioning of the Sun and moon relative to Earth and our vantage point.

Answer 5

What do you mean change shape? You mean the different phases of the moon make it look different?

I notice that the moon looks a lot larger when it is lower and closer to the horizon than when it is higher in the sky. Is that what you mean?

I think it just has to do with your point of view when you are looking at it, same as with any large object that you move around.

Answer 6

The moon is a long way off, and things get between us and it. That makes the silhouette of the moon you're seeing appear to change shape.

Answer 7

The moon that orbits the earth does not change shape.

Answer 8

the Moon Circles around the Earth in about 30 days so it is constanly moving and changing it's position.

Answer 9

because the earth passes between the moon and the sun, blocking the light from certain areas of the moons surface.

Answer 10

The earth's shadow on the moon depicts all phases !!