13
QuizMultiple Choice

Lesson 9.5 The Earth-Sun-Moon System

Question 13 • AZ-Earth and Space Science A

Why do we see different phases of the lunar cycle?

Answer
A
As the moon rotates around its axis, different sides of it become visible.
B
As Earth rotates around its axis, people can see different sides of the moon.
C
As Earth revolves around the Sun, the moon is cast in different shadows by Earth.
D
As the moon revolves around Earth, the different amounts of the sunlit side faces Earth.

Explanation

The Sun always illuminates about half of the Moon. As the Moon revolves around Earth, our viewing angle changes, so we see different amounts of that sunlit half. This produces the lunar phases; they are not usually caused by Earth’s shadow, which creates a lunar eclipse.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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