The Moon
Is there a change in the shape of the moon everyday? Are there days when the shape of the moon appears to be perfectly round? Are there days when the moon cannot be seen at all even if the sky is clear? The day on which the whole disc of the moon is visible is known as the full moon day. Thereafter, every night the size of the bright part of the moon appears to become thinner and thinner. On the fifteenth day the moon is not visible. This day is known as the new moon day. The next day. only a small portion of the moon appears in the sky. This is known as the crescent moon. Then again the moon grows larger every day. On the fifteenth day once again we get a full view of the moon. The various shapes of the bright part of the moon as seen during a month are called phases of the moon.Let us try to understand why phases of the moon occur. You have studied in Chapter 16 that the moon does not produce its own light, whereas the Sun and other stars do. We see the moon because the sunlight falling on it gets reflected towards us . We, therefore, see only that part of the moon, from which the light of the Sun is reflected towards us.
Notes
Stars and the Solar System - Notes
15. Some Other Members of the Solar System
Show Notes
