When the Moon's near side is completely lit, it is a which Moon phase?

When the Moon's near side is completely lit, it is a which Moon phase?

• A. New Moon
• B. Crescent Moon
• C. Quarter Moon
• D. Full Moon

Answer: (D)

Think about how the Sun’s light falls on the Moon and what portion we can see from Earth. The Moon’s phase changes as it orbits, depending on the angle between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. When the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, sunlight washes over the entire near face that we see. In that arrangement, the whole disk is lit, and we see a bright, round object—the Full Moon. The far side is dark, and the Moon rises as the Sun sets and sets as the Sun rises. That’s different from a new Moon, when the near side is dark; a crescent is a small sliver lit, and a quarter is half-lit. So the Moon’s near side being completely illuminated corresponds to the Full Moon.

Think about how the Sun’s light falls on the Moon and what portion we can see from Earth. The Moon’s phase changes as it orbits, depending on the angle between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. When the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, sunlight washes over the entire near face that we see. In that arrangement, the whole disk is lit, and we see a bright, round object—the Full Moon. The far side is dark, and the Moon rises as the Sun sets and sets as the Sun rises.

That’s different from a new Moon, when the near side is dark; a crescent is a small sliver lit, and a quarter is half-lit. So the Moon’s near side being completely illuminated corresponds to the Full Moon.