Q1.
Does the Moon actually produce its own light? Is moonlight just reflected sunlight?
Answer
No, the Moon does not produce any light of its own. Moonlight is sunlight that the Moon reflects towards us.
The Moon is a non-luminous object. Sunlight falls on the Moon's rocky surface, and a small part of it bounces off and reaches the Earth. That is why we see the Moon shining at night.
Why it happens: Only a body that is very hot or is made to glow (like the Sun, a star or a burning flame) can send out light of its own. The Moon is cold rock — it has no way of making light, so it can only pass on the light it receives.
Did you know? The same is true of the planets. Mars and Venus look like bright stars in the night sky, but they shine only by reflecting sunlight. You read this in the chapter ‘Beyond Earth’ of the Grade 6 textbook Curiosity.