Ok to some of you this may sound lame or crazy,but if we see phases of the moon such as a cresent moon what is casting the shadow to block out the rest? Fill me i please

The earth itself. it's us getting between the sun and moon. that was fun! next! lol

OOOOO I see now Thanks

Fun it may have been, it is also 100% wrong!

The reason you can't see the whole of the moon is simply the part that you can't see is having it's night time. The sun isn't shining there so no light to be reflected back to the earth.

Shine a torch on to a ball. The torch represents the sun, the ball represents the moon and you represent an observer on earth. Only half the ball will be illuminated. Now move the torch to a different position. The "phase" of the ball will change as you move the torch, this is what is happening with the moon.

We do not see the remainder of the moon when it is in phases because no light is shining on the dark part. The shadow, if you will, is cast by the moon itself. It really is that simple.

Try this link: http://jove.geol.niu.edu/faculty/stoddard/.../moonphase.html


This will give you a nice graphic representation of what we see in moon phases and why, showing you the sun's position relative to the earth and moon at any given time, and precisely why the moon appears as it does at any of those times.

Waspie is right...It's not the Earth's Shadow. Think of the Moon between the Earth and Sun. The light is only on one side, while the other half is in darkness...That's is a new moon. As the moon orbits Earth, the more the sunlight hits the viewable part of the moon.