The moon reflects light from the sun due to its surface properties. The moon doesn’t produce any light of its own; instead, it acts like a giant mirror in the sky. When sunlight hits the moon’s surface, a portion of that light is reflected back towards Earth.
This reflection occurs because the surface of the moon, though seemingly dull and dusty, consists of many materials that have the ability to reflect sunlight. The moon’s regolith, a layer of loose, fragmented material, scatters light in various directions, allowing us to see it from Earth.
Furthermore, the brightness of the moon that we observe from Earth can vary depending on its phase. When the moon is full, we see the maximum amount of sunlight reflected towards us, whereas during a new moon, the side facing us is in shadow and less light is visible. Overall, the moon’s ability to reflect sunlight is the reason it shines bright in our night sky.