Which of the following best describes why we see the moon at different phases?

Question

- We are the only seeing portions of the moon that is reflecting sunlight
- We are only seeing portions of the moon that is blocking sunlight
-We are only seeing portions of the moon that is reflecting Earth's atmosphere
-We are only seeing portions of the moon when its orbit is closest to the Earth

Answer 1

The best description of why we see the moon at different phases is:

• We are only seeing portions of the moon that is reflecting sunlight.

The phases of the moon occur due to its position in relation to the Earth and the Sun, which affects how much of its illuminated half we can see from our perspective on Earth.