Debra J. Moore, age 10, of Fontana, California for her question:

Does the earth show phases to the moon?

We all know that the moon shows changing phases to the earth. In a lunar month, it grows from a slender crescent to a full golden moon and then dwindles back again to a thin sliver. At present, no person has actually stood on the surface of the moon and seen the earth in the lunar skies. But astronomers know just what to expect. And they tell us that from our side of the moon, some future astronaut will watch somewhat similar phases tin the earth.

The moon, like the earth, is a globe. As it rotates, first one side and then the other side is bathed in sunshine. We cannot see the dark areas. This changing picture shows us the changing phases of the moon. The earth turns through a changing picture of day and night, once every 24 hours. 0n the moon, this will be seen as the changing phases of the earth. However, the earth shows the moon all of its phases in a single caldndar day. The moon's phases take almost 28 days because this is the length of the lunar day and night