Contains:  Solar system body or event
The Waxing Gibbous Moon, NewLightObservatory

The Waxing Gibbous Moon

The Waxing Gibbous Moon, NewLightObservatory

The Waxing Gibbous Moon

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

Moon

The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth, and the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face with its near side marked by dark volcanic maria that fill between the bright ancient crustal highlands and the prominent impact craters. It is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun, although its surface is actually very dark, with a reflectance similar to that of coal. The Moon's gravitational influence produces the ocean tides and the minute lengthening of the day. The Moon's current orbital distance, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth, causes it to appear almost the same size in the sky as the Sun, allowing it to cover the Sun nearly precisely in total solar eclipses. This matching of apparent visual size is a coincidence. The Moon's linear distance from the Earth is currently increasing at a rate of almost 4 cm per year, but this rate is not constant.

Comments

Histogram

The Waxing Gibbous Moon, NewLightObservatory