Why is it we see the moon become full and then in crescent phases?
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misshell on fire
ANSWERS: 3
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Basicly it is the position of the moon in relation to the sun and the earth. A full moon is when the daytime side of the moon is full on toward the sun. The cresents come as the moon and earth rotate around the sun. The daytime side of the moon and the night time side of the moon are both visible - OK visible in a manner of speaking. Try and grasp the concept the the moon, a big ball, is always there but all we are able to see is the reflected side. Three balls, rotating around each other.
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Simply because it is moving in and out of the earths shadow.
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The lunar cycle is related the moon's orbit around the earth. It has nothing to do with the earth's shadow. The moon has a near side and far side, but every spot on its surface gets day and night, with exactly 50% of its surface lighted at any given time -- just like on earth. A full moon occurs when the moon is on the side of earth opposite the sun, so the lighted 50% is all facing earth. As the moon swings around the earth we see less and less of it's lighted part, until it's on the same side of the earth as the sun, when the new (dark or thin crescent) moon can be seen near sunrise or sunset.
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