What Is the Moon Made Of and Why Does It Shine at Night?

Every night when you look up, you might see a big glowing circle in the sky — the Moon. But have you ever wondered what the Moon is really made of? Or why it shines so brightly, even though it’s not a star?

Let’s zoom in and explore our Moon! 🛰

🌑 The Moon Is Made of Rock, Dust, and Craters

The Moon is not made of cheese (sorry, cartoons!). It’s actually made of:

🪨 Rocky ground — a lot like Earth’s rocks, but very dry

🌫️ Moon dust — soft gray dust that covers the surface

🕳️ Craters — round holes made by space rocks crashing into it!

The Moon has no water, no air, and no weather. It’s a super quiet place, and it gets really hot during the day and freezing cold at night. That’s why astronauts have to wear special suits when they go there!

🌟 Why Does the Moon Shine?

The Moon doesn’t make its own light. It shines because it reflects light from the Sun.

Imagine shining a flashlight on a mirror — the mirror glows, right? That’s what the Moon does!

As the Moon moves around Earth, the sunlight hits it from different angles — that’s why we sometimes see:

🌑 New Moon

🌓 Half Moon

🌕 Full Moon

This change is called the Moon’s phases — and it happens every 29 days!

So remember:

The Moon is a giant rock floating in space, glowing not because it has light of its own, but because it’s bouncing sunlight back to us. 🌙✨