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  Posted by Danish Iqbal Satti on September 14, 2024 at 5:32 pm

  Why does the moon change shape?

  Mawar Tanjung replied 3 weeks, 5 days ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
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  Mawar Tanjung

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  September 16, 2024 at 12:27 pm

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  The moon appears to change shape due to the phases of the moon, which are caused by its orbit around Earth and the varying angles at which sunlight illuminates it. Here’s a breakdown:

  1. Orbit and Illumination: As the moon orbits Earth, different portions of its surface are illuminated by the sun. We see different amounts of the moon’s lit half depending on its position relative to Earth and the sun.

  2. Phases:

     • New Moon: The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side illuminated by the sun is away from us, and the moon is not visible.
     • Waxing Crescent: A small, crescent-shaped sliver of the moon is visible as it starts to move away from the new moon phase.
     • First Quarter: Half of the moon’s surface is visible; the right side appears lit in the Northern Hemisphere.
     • Waxing Gibbous: More than half of the moon is visible and increasing towards a full moon.
     • Full Moon: The entire face of the moon is illuminated from our perspective as it is opposite the sun.
     • Waning Gibbous: The moon starts to decrease in visibility, but more than half is still visible.
     • Last Quarter: The opposite half of the moon is visible compared to the first quarter; the left side appears lit.
     • Waning Crescent: A small, crescent-shaped sliver of the moon is visible as it approaches the new moon phase again.

  These phases repeat in a cycle approximately every 29.5 days, known as a lunar month.

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