eli5: why does moon appear white and not dark gray (it’s original color)

Question

eli5: why does moon appear white and not dark gray (it’s original color)

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Answer 1

What’s the difference between white and gray?

Gray is darker, of course. Otherwise they appear the same.

So what if you see an object on its own, with nothing around it. It’s the brightest thing around, by far. It’s either white or gray. How do you know which?

You don’t, plain and simple. The moon looks white because it’s the brightest thing around. It’s being lit by the sun but nothing else is and it’s surrounded by much darker space.