What makes the moon change shape?

Question

i was just wondering why the moon changes shape. sometimes its a half moon sometimes its full some times is quarter etc.

Answer 1

The Moon is always the same shape, roughly a sphere (like a ball). Since the Moon is lit by the Sun, it is half in darkness and half in light. You can see the bright half, but not usually the dark half; so it looks like the shape changes, but it really doesn't.

Answer 2

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 3

Jeez - ignore anyone who thinks the phases of the moon are anything to do with the Earth's shadow - that is garbage, but so many people think it.

There are two reasons it seems to change shape:

1. The sun can only shine on one half of the moon at a time.

2. The changing angle between Earth/Moon/Sun duiring the moon's 28 day orbit around the Earth, means that we see varying amounts of that illuminated half - sometimes we see it face on (full moon), sometimes we can't see it at all (sun behind moon - new moon), and in between times we see varying amounts of the illluminated part.

You need to watch the sky more often. It's not a difficult concept, except for those who only bother to look in the sky a couple times a year.

Answer 4

The phase of the moon is determined by the angle between the earth, the moon and the sun. What we see as changing shape is just the portion of the moon that we see that has sunlight shining directly on it.

Answer 5

The shadow of the Earth on the moon is the shape changes that you can observe. Since it takes approximately 28 days for the moon to revolve the Earth, you see these changes quite often.. Hope this helps. Will.

Answer 6

The moon is always the same shape but -- sometimes you see the shadow of the earth on it's surface and it appears to be half, or quarther etc. During an eclipse you see the shadow of the moon on the earth which is visa versa.

Answer 7

Position of the moon, relating to sun and earth, during spinning in their certain circuits.

Answer 8

as the moon orbit,s the earth...it change,s position,s.......while you don,t.......therefore you see the side of the moon in it,s daylight position........which will change throughout it,s orbit.....in relation to you of course.