why does a gibbous/waxing moon look different depending on when you are in the world?

Question

why does a gibbous/waxing moon look different depending on when you are in the world?

In: Planetary Science

Answer 1

If you’re asking the question I think you’re asking, the moon’s orientation will appear to change depending on specifically the latitude of the observer because the observer’s orientation is changing because the earth is a ball, and happens regardless of phase. If you could somehow travel in a straight line south from near the North Pole to near the South Pole very quickly, you would see the moon appear to rotate clockwise 180 degrees during your trip.