Are the phases of the moon created by the earth’s shadow? And, if so, how can i see the moon in its phase during the daytime?
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Exactly half of the moon is lit by the sun at all times, just like the earth is. The “phases” of the moon are how much of the lit side we can see.
The moon orbits the earth once a month, so for part of its orbit it’s on the same side of the earth as the sun (earth’s daytime), and for part of the orbit it’s on the opposite side of the sun (earth’s nighttime). If it’s on the same side as the sun, then obviously the sunlit half of the moon is the half that’s facing away from us (new moon). If it’s on the opposite side as the sun, then the sunlit half of the moon is the half that’s facing toward us (full moon). And if it’s off to the side, then we see part of the sunlit side, so the first and third quarter, and waxing/waning crescents.
The moon’s orbit is tilted with respect to the earth’s orbit around the sun, so it’s very rare that the earth’s shadow is cast on the moon. These rare occasions are called lunar eclipses.
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