what makes the moon shine

The moon shines because its surface reflects sunlight. It does not produce any light of its own like the Sun. Sunlight hits the lunar surface, which is composed of dust and rocks, and about 12-14% of this sunlight is reflected back toward Earth. This reflected light is what makes the moon visible and appear to shine in the night sky. The brightness and appearance of the moon change with its phases, which depend on its position relative to the Earth and the Sun, with the full moon being the brightest phase when the entire sunlit side faces Earth.