SOLAR SYSTEM

UNIVERSE

SURVEY OF THE PLANETS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
As the moon’s shape appears to get smaller as it moves in its orbit towards the Sun, we say that the moon is ____
A
waning
B
waxing
C
gibbous
D
crescent
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -What happens during a waning moon? During a waning moon, the illuminated side of the moon is getting smaller. This is because less and less of the “day side” of the moon is observable from Earth.

Detailed explanation-2: -Between the new and full Moon, the amount of Moon we see grows-or waxes from its right side toward its left side. As it passes the full Moon stage, the amount of illumination decreases-or wanes-from right to left.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Moon is shrinking as its interior cools, getting more than about 150 feet (50 meters) skinnier over the last several hundred million years. Just as a grape wrinkles as it shrinks down to a raisin, the Moon gets wrinkles as it shrinks.

Detailed explanation-4: -During the second half of the lunar month, the Moon grows thinner each night. We call this waning. Its shape is still gibbous at this point, but grows a little thinner each night.

There is 1 question to complete.