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What change occurs as the Moon makes one full
______ around the Earth.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

As the Moon makes one full orbit around the Earth, its appearance changes due to the lunar phase cycle, including the full moon phase where it is fully illuminated and opposite the Sun in the sky.

Step-by-step explanation:

As the Moon completes one full orbit around the Earth, a change in its appearance from our perspective on Earth occurs. This change is known as the lunar phase cycle. Initially, as the Moon moves from the new moon phase to the first quarter, we see more of its illuminated half, with the Moon rising around noon and setting around midnight. The Moon reaches the full phase when it is opposite the Sun in the sky, and its fully illuminated side is visible to us.

During a full moon, it rises at sunset, stays in the sky all night, and sets at sunrise, providing light throughout the night. Following this, the Moon's visible illumination decreases as it moves through the waning gibbous, third quarter, and finally back to the new moon phase, with the cycle lasting about 29.5 days. The consistency of the same side of the Moon facing Earth is due to its period of rotation being equal to its period of revolution.

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