The moon goes round the earth every 27 3 days seems kind of strange when we see light during the day and dark at night

The Moon’s Orbit: A Matter of Light and Dark

We all know that the Earth orbits the Sun, resulting in the cycle of day and night. But have you ever wondered how the Moon fits into this celestial dance? Surprisingly, the Moon follows its own orbit around the Earth, taking approximately 27.3 days to complete one revolution. While this fact may seem strange considering the phenomena of daytime and nighttime, there is a logical explanation behind it.

Firstly, let’s understand the Moon’s orbit around the Earth. Imagine you are standing on the Earth, looking up at the night sky. You notice the Moon slowly traversing across its path, changing its appearance each night. This journey around our planet is called the Moon’s orbit. Interestingly, this orbit is slightly elliptical, meaning that at certain points during its revolution, the Moon is closer to the Earth, while at other times it is farther away. This variation accounts for the slightly different lengths of our months.

Now, let’s address the apparent contradiction between the Moon’s orbit and the transition of light and darkness on Earth. During the day, we experience sunlight as the Earth rotates towards the Sun. Consequently, the Moon is still present in the sky, but its light is overwhelmed by the dazzling brilliance of the Sun, rendering it invisible to the naked eye. Hence, we only observe the Moon during the night when the Earth rotates away from the Sun, allowing the Moon’s glow to illuminate our skies.

Moreover, the Moon does not emit its own light; it merely reflects sunlight. This reflection is what allows us to see the Moon illuminated against the night sky. As the Moon orbits around the Earth, its position relative to the Sun changes, causing different portions of its surface to be illuminated. These changing illuminated areas are known as the Moon’s phases, which we commonly recognize as the Full Moon, New Moon, Waxing Crescent, and other lunar stages.

To summarize, although the Moon takes around 27.3 days to complete its orbit around the Earth, it remains mostly hidden from our view during the day due to the Sun’s radiance. It is during the night when the absence of sunlight allows the Moon to shine and display its mesmerizing phases. So, the next time you marvel at the Moon’s presence in the darkened sky, remember the intricate celestial ballet occurring above us every day.

Source: Exploring Nature