Here's why:
* Lunar Phases: The Moon's phases (New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent) are caused by the changing angle at which we see the sunlit portion of the Moon.
* More Sunlight: As the Moon turns more towards the Sun, a larger portion of its surface is illuminated by direct sunlight. This larger illuminated area reflects more sunlight back to Earth.
* Full Moon: When the Moon is full, it's directly opposite the Sun in the sky. The entire sunlit hemisphere faces Earth, resulting in the maximum amount of reflected light.
In short: The amount of light reflected by the Moon towards Earth directly correlates with the amount of its surface illuminated by the Sun.
