Question

Why is the moon not considered as a luminous body?

Answer 1

Hint: Here, we will proceed by stating the major difference between luminous and non-luminous objects. Then, we will discuss some aspects about the moon. Then, we will discuss whether the moon emits its own light or not.

Step By Step Answer:
Luminous objects are those which emit light on their own like stars, sun, etc.

Objects that do not have light of their own but they reflect the light of luminous objects that fall on them to our eyes are known as non-luminous objects. Wood, moon, blue sky, plastics, metals are some of the important examples of non-luminous objects.

Earth’s only natural satellite is the Moon. The Moon’s presence helps stabilize our planet’s wobble, which helps stabilize our climate.

Moon doesn’t give off light of its own, that’s why the moon is considered a non-luminous body. All its light we see is reflected from the sun and to a very minor effect, from the reflection of sunlight off the earth. In a total lunar eclipse where the moon is hidden behind the dark side of the earth, it becomes completely dark.

The suns give off energy at many wavelengths and include illumination from the enormous nuclear fusion furnaces going on inside them and hence are the only luminous bodies in space.

Additional Information:
The Moon rotates on its own axis at the same rate that it orbits around Earth. That means we always see the same side of the Moon from our position on Earth. The side we don't see gets just as much light, so a more accurate name for that part of the Moon is known as the far side.

The weight of any person is much less on the moon due to weaker gravity on the moon as compared to Earth which is due to its smaller mass. So your weight on the moon will be about one sixth of your weight on Earth. This is why the lunar astronauts could leap and bound so high in the air.

Note: The Moon does not contain any atmosphere which refers to the fact that the surface of the moon is unprotected from cosmic rays, meteorites and solar winds, and has huge temperature variations. The lack of atmosphere means no sound can be heard on the Moon and the sky always appears black.