earthshine
noun
earth·shine
ˈərth-ˌshīn 
: sunlight reflected by the earth that illuminates the dark part of the moon
Because the moon will be near half phase, earthshine will brighten the dark portion of the moon.—
Astronomy
Astronomycalled also earthlight
Examples of earthshine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Measured from the Big Bear Solar Observatory in California between 1998 and 2017, the researchers monitored the precise daily, monthly, seasonal, yearly and decadal changes in Earth’s albedo using earthshine.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2021
In a shocking turn of events, the last three years of their study showed the earthshine had gone down dramatically.
—Jennifer Gray, CNN, 4 Oct. 2021
The conclusion came from a group of researchers that studied two decades' worth of data on earthshine, or the light reflected off Earth that illuminates the moon.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 4 Oct. 2021
On the moon, that means from bright sunshine to dim earthshine.
—Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 20 July 2019
The crescent moon, bathed in earthshine, is visible above.
—Lisa Raffensperger, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2013
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Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2021
In a shocking turn of events, the last three years of their study showed the earthshine had gone down dramatically.
—Jennifer Gray, CNN, 4 Oct. 2021
The conclusion came from a group of researchers that studied two decades' worth of data on earthshine, or the light reflected off Earth that illuminates the moon.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 4 Oct. 2021
On the moon, that means from bright sunshine to dim earthshine.
—Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 20 July 2019
The crescent moon, bathed in earthshine, is visible above.
—Lisa Raffensperger, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2013
Cite this Entry
“Earthshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earthshine. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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earthshine
noun
earth·shine
ˈərth-ˌshīn
: sunlight reflected by the earth that lights up the dark part of the moon
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