The Fascinating Truth About the Moon's Monthly Orbit Around the Earth

AI Thread Summary
The Moon takes approximately 28 days to complete its orbit around the Earth, which is distinct from the Earth's 24-hour rotation that creates night and day. Night occurs because one side of the Earth is illuminated by the Sun while the other remains in darkness. The Moon's phases would change daily if it orbited the Earth every 24 hours, resulting in a constant transition from full to new and back. Additionally, the Moon can be visible during the daytime, contrary to common belief. Understanding these dynamics clarifies the relationship between the Moon's orbit and the Earth's rotation.
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I had no idea it took a month for the moon to orbit the earth. I thought it happened daily, and that's what gave us night. How do we get night?
 
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The Earth rotates in 24 hours. (Actually, a little less, but that's unimportant here.) One side of the Earth is exposed to sunlight at any given time; the other side is in darkness. Thus, we have night and day.

The Moon revolves around the Earth once every 28 days, and is unrelated to the Earth's day/night cycle. If it revolved around the Earth once per day, you'd see the Moon's phase go from full to new and back to full every single day.

- Warren
 
One more thing: You can see the Moon during daytime.
 
Thread title corrected.
 

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