earthlight
Earth's reflected luminescence
Earthlight is the faint illumination of the moon's dark portion by sunlight reflected from Earth.
When a crescent moon hangs in the sky, you can sometimes see the rest of the lunar disk glowing dimly—that's earthlight, also called earthshine.
The term occasionally appears in science fiction for light from Earth as seen from space.
Surface reflection coefficient
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- lunarOf the moon
- regolithFragmented covering over bedrock
- crescentCurved sickle-like arc
gibbous · illumination · scattered · glow · brightness · radiance · luminosity · visibility
Curved celestial path
- phasesDistinct periods in sequence
- lunationMoon's orbital period
- eclipseCelestial body blocks another
- syzygyTrilinear celestial arrangement
perigee · apogee · libration · craters · mare · basalt · breccia · helium-3
albedo
Surface reflection coefficient
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- lunarOf the moon
- regolithFragmented covering over bedrock
crescent · gibbous · illumination · scattered · glow · brightness · radiance · luminosity · visibility · astronaut
orbit
Curved celestial path
syzygy · perigee · apogee · libration · craters · mare · basalt · breccia · helium-3 · regolith
ethereal
Delicate beyond earthly measure
- glimmerFaint, wavering light
- luminescenceHeatless light emission
- paleLacking color intensity
ghostly · silvery · gentle · soft · whisper · tranquil · serene · celestial · otherworldly · mystical
nocturnal
Active during darkness
starlight · moonless · darkness · shadow · dimness · nightfall · eventide · crepuscular · starry · sky
earthlightdirect sunlight
Unobstructed solar rays
sunlight · moonlight · sunshine · solar radiation · moonshine
light, earth, sunlight, earthy, earthly, enlighten, earthenware, earthen, down-to-earth