Why Does The Moon Change Shape?

🌙 Why does the Moon seem to change shape?

One night it's barely a sliver. A couple of weeks later, it's a brilliant full circle. Then it begins shrinking all over again.

But the Moon isn't actually changing shape.

It reflects sunlight, and half of the Moon is illuminated at any given time. As the Moon travels around Earth, our viewing angle changes, revealing different portions of that illuminated half. That's what creates the familiar lunar phases.

And the entire cycle repeats about every 29.5 days.

Explore Investigation NS-020 — Why Does The Moon Change Shape? and discover how sunlight, orbit, and perspective create one of the most familiar sights in the night sky.

Question Everything.

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