Why is the moon so bright at night?
The moon shines because sunlight bounces off it, like a giant mirror ball!
Pip’s answer
- The moon shines because sunlight bounces off it, like a giant mirror ball!
- The moon makes no light of its own at all.
- The night sky is so dark that the bounced sunlight looks extra bright.
- Ooh, moonlight is really sunlight that took a trip to the moon and back!
For grown-ups
The moon doesn't make its own light; it reflects sunlight. The moon's surface is actually fairly dark grey, like asphalt, but against the black night sky the reflected light looks bright. A full moon is lit across its whole face, so it looks brightest.
Ask your child: Is the moon brighter when it's full or when it's a thin crescent?
More questions kids ask
- 🌓Why does the moon change shape?
- 🌖Why can we see the moon in the daytime?
- ☀️Why is the sun so bright?
- 🌙Why does it get dark at night?
- ⭐Why do stars twinkle?
- 🌕Why doesn’t the moon fall down?
Got your own why?
Hold Pip, ask anything out loud, and watch the answer come to life.
Ask Pip your own question