- earthshine
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/errth"shuyn'/, n. Astron.the faint illumination of the part of the moon not illuminated by sunlight, as during a crescent phase, caused by the reflection of light from the earth. Also called earthlight.[1825-35; EARTH + SHINE]
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Sunlight reflected from Earth, especially that reflected onto the dark side of the Moon.For a few days before and after each new moon, this doubly reflected light is powerful enough to make the whole Moon visible, producing the effect, in the case of the new moon, of "the new moon holding the old moon in her arms."
Earthshine on the moon.Courtesy of Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin* * *
sunlight reflected from the Earth, especially that reflected to the Moon and back again. For a few days before and after New Moon, this doubly reflected earthshine is powerful enough to make the whole Moon visible.At this time an observer on the Moon would see the Earth as a bright body, four times the diameter of the Moon as seen from Earth, almost completely illuminated by the Sun. The phases of the Earth and Moon are complementary, so that the Earth is near full when the Moon is near new, and the earthshine then is strongest.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
