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.

phenomenon

albedo

Surface reflection coefficient

crescent · gibbous · illumination · scattered · glow · brightness · radiance · luminosity · visibility · astronaut

astronomy

orbit

Curved celestial path

syzygy · perigee · apogee · libration · craters · mare · basalt · breccia · helium-3 · regolith

poetic

ethereal

Delicate beyond earthly measure

ghostly · silvery · gentle · soft · whisper · tranquil · serene · celestial · otherworldly · mystical

nightscape

nocturnal

Active during darkness

starlight · moonless · darkness · shadow · dimness · nightfall · eventide · crepuscular · starry · sky

Opposites
light source

earthlightdirect sunlight

Unobstructed solar rays

sunlight · moonlight · sunshine · solar radiation · moonshine

illumination intensity

earthlightdarkness

Total absence of light

bright sunlight · pitch black · glare · shadow

Family

light, earth, sunlight, earthy, earthly, enlighten, earthenware, earthen, down-to-earth

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Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Rated G