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the Moon is in a waxing crescent phase, with only a small sliver of the Sun-illuminated side visible on its right side. The rest of the Moon glows, albeit less brightly, by the light of the Sun after it has been reflected off of the Earth. Below the Moon, Earth’s bright horizon arcs across the bottom of the image. It shows a cross-section of the planet’s atmospheric layers including the orange troposphere and the light-blue stratosphere.

Waxing Lunar Crescent Seen from Space Station

Iss071e67226-stk (May 10, 2024) NASA astronaut Matt Dominick aboard space station captured this waxing lunar crescent illuminated by the Sun. The rest of the Moon dimly glows by earthshine when sunlight reflects off Earth onto the Moon. Scientists track the Earth’s brightness, or albedo, via this phenomenon. This photo also shows a cross-section of Earth’s atmospheric layers, including the orange troposphere nearest to the surface and the thicker, light-blue stratosphere above that.

Image Credit: NASA
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TakenMay 8, 2024
Image CreditNASA
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