Story: Night sky

Phases of the moon

The moon is visible at night because one side reflects sunlight. During the moon’s monthly orbit of earth, different portions are lit up, as this animation shows.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Source: NASA

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

John Field and Maggy Wassilieff, 'Night sky - Earth’s near neighbours', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/7897/phases-of-the-moon (accessed 21 April 2024)

Story by John Field and Maggy Wassilieff, published 12 Jun 2006