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The moon is one of the celestial bodies most studied by scientists. Today, we know that it is an opaque satellite without the ability to emit its own light. But then, Why does the moon shine if it doesn't have its own light?. Of course it is a most curious phenomenon and many people wonder why it shines and sometimes with such intensity.
Therefore, the answer to this question is given in this Green Ecologist article. In addition, we tell you more details that influence this phenomenon, such as the composition of the moon, its orbit and the moon phase.
Why is the moon shining
The surface of the moon reflects the sunlight it receives and that's why we perceive it with brightness, but although it sometimes seems to shine a lot (especially during a full moon), it really only reflects between 3% and 12% of the sunlight. This percentage is calculated by scientists using a measurement called albedo, which is defined as the percentage of radiation reflected by a surface with respect to the total radiation that falls on it. For example, snow has an albedo of 0.95 or 95% of the total it receives (which is why we see it white), while the moon has an albedo of 0.07 or 7% of the total it receives. Although the percentage of radiation reflected by the moon is not too high, we see the moon with a great brightness due to its proximity to the Earth.
In addition, the tone with which we usually perceive the moon is slightly silver, which is also due to the fact that it receives part of the light that the Earth reflects from the sun, because our planet is also an opaque celestial body with the ability to reflect light. solar (its albedo is 0.38).
Why does the moon shine explanation for children
To explain this curious phenomenon to children we can say that the moon does not shine itself, it does not have its own light, but the moon shines because it gives it sunlight. At night, which is when we see the moon, the sun is behind it and, therefore, the intense light that the sun itself has reaches it. Thus, the moon shines thanks to the sunlight that reaches it and we see it whiter and brighter when it is bigger, on a full moon.
The composition of the moon makes it shine brighter
The surface of the moon has a dark gray hue. It is made up of minerals that result from the disintegration of basaltic rocks, anorthosites (an igneous rock) and lunar dust (which comes from bombardment of Hydrogen by the solar wind and the existence of Iron in metallic form).
The composition of the moon is important, because the lunar composition helps us to observe the moon with a greater brightness of which it reflects. Light from the sun, X-rays, and ultraviolet radiation produce materials on the lunar surface alterations in the state of your electrons and causes its surface to acquire a greater positive charge. This fact causes the smallest particles of lunar dust to be released into space (in an orbit that ranges from a few meters to several kilometers). The particle motion around the moon it is the one that finally causes the effect of reflecting a greater intensity of light.
The moon's orbit and phase influence the brightness of the moon
The brightness that we observe on the moon depends mostly on the moment of its orbit around our planet. We, from the planet, will only be able to observe the half of the moon illuminated by the sun. The orbit that the moon describes around the Earth is completed in about 29 and a half days and at the different points of its path is illuminated by the sun from different angles.
It is the combination of the lunar orbit around the Earth with the Earth's orbit around the sun, which creates the different phases of the moon that we know: new moon, waxing moon, waxing quarter, waxing gibbous moon, full moon, waning gibbous moon, last quarter, waning moon and black moon. At any point in this lunar orbit, only half will be in front of the sun and, therefore, illuminated, while the other half will be in the shade and will not be visible to people.
The brightest point on its trajectory is when it is about 180 degrees from our perspective. Moment in which half of its surface is in front of the sun and is completely illuminated, being fully visible from the Earth. Thus, the phenomenon of the full moon is when the moon shines the brightest.
On the contrary, during the new moon phase, the moon is not visible from the Earth, because at this point in its trajectory, the moon is located between the sun and the Earth and the side of the sunlight that reflects the moon, its back is to the Earth
What does the sun or the moon shine brighter?
This is another common doubt, especially among those who still do not know that the moon does not have its own light, in addition to being used in riddles.
After what we have already explained, the answer to the question of what shines more the sun or the moon seems pretty clear. Indeed, the sun shines brighter than the moon, since it has its own light and the Earth's natural satellite does not. In addition, an easy way to check it yourself is to look at both directly, you will notice that you can look at the moon much longer without bothering your eyes, while the sun can barely look directly for a few seconds, because it dazzles you because it shines a lot. plus.
Now that you have discovered the answers to these curiosities, you may also be interested in knowing The importance of the moon on Earth.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why does the moon shine if it doesn't have its own light, we recommend that you enter our category of Curiosities of the Earth and the universe.
