The phenomenon of seeing a full moon at night despite it being illuminated by reflected sunlight from the sun can be explained as follows:
During a full moon, the moon is positioned opposite the sun with respect to the Earth. This means that as the sun sets in the west, the moon rises in the east. As the Earth rotates on its axis, the moon appears to move across the sky over the course of the night.
When the moon is full, it is directly in line with the Earth and the sun. As sunlight falls on the moon, its surface reflects the sunlight back toward Earth. The moon's surface is composed of rocks and dust, which are reflective materials. This reflection of sunlight allows us to see the moon even when it is nighttime.
The moon is not a source of light itself but acts as a giant mirror, reflecting the sunlight that reaches its surface. This reflected sunlight is what illuminates the moon and allows us to see it. The moon appears to glow because of this reflected sunlight.
The brightness of the moon during a full moon can vary depending on various factors, such as the moon's distance from Earth, the Earth's atmosphere, and any atmospheric conditions like clouds or pollution. Nevertheless, even with these factors, the reflected sunlight is typically strong enough to make the moon visible to us at night.
So, when you see a full moon at night, you are essentially seeing sunlight that has traveled to the moon and back, allowing us to enjoy its beauty even when the sun is not visible in the nighttime sky.