Earthshine: definition – Astronomy glossary · Superlight

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The faint glow on the dark part of the Moon when it is a thin crescent. It is sunlight reflected by the Earth onto the Moon, then back to us. Leonardo da Vinci had already explained it.

ToolsThe Moon tonight

Related terms

Moon phases: The Moon’s changing look depending on how much of its sunlit side we see: new Moon, crescent, first quarter, gibbous, full Moon, then back again. The full cycle, the lunation, lasts 29.5 days. For relief, prefer the quarters to the full Moon, which looks flat.

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