in 3-5 sentences explain why the moon appears to be less bright then the sun despite its very close distance to earth

1 answer

The moon appears less bright than the sun despite its close distance to Earth because of its surface composition. The moon's surface is covered in dark, rocky material called regolith, which reflects much less sunlight compared to the sun's bright and hot surface. Additionally, the moon has no atmosphere to scatter and diffuse light, further decreasing its apparent brightness. Finally, the moon reflects only a portion of the sun's light back towards Earth, while the sun emits light from its entire surface, leading to a stark contrast in perceived brightness.