The Moon shines by reflecting sunlight. Unlike the Sun, which is a source of light itself, the Moon does not generate its own light. Instead, it reflects sunlight that falls upon its surface.

When sunlight hits the Moon’s surface, some of it is absorbed by the lunar soil (regolith), rocks, and other materials, while the rest is scattered and reflected back into space. The reflected sunlight is what we see as the Moon’s brightness and illumination.

The appearance of the Moon’s brightness and phases varies throughout its orbit around Earth due to changes in its relative position with respect to the Sun and Earth. During a full moon, when the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, its entire illuminated face is visible from Earth, making it appear fully bright. During a new moon, when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun, its illuminated side faces away from Earth, making it appear dark or invisible from our perspective.

Overall, the Moon’s shine is a result of sunlight reflecting off its surface, providing illumination and visibility to observers on Earth.

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