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Why don't planets have phases like the moon?

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As Kimberly says, they do. Here's Venus: and Mars: It'll help to picture the geometry. read more

Of course planets have phases. However, not like the phases of the moon, which are about one complete of phases per month, based on the time the moon takes to circle the earth. When the moon is between the earth and the sun, it is dark because the sun is on the other side. read more

Lunar phases happen because of the location and angle of the moon in orbit interacting with that of Earth. The shadow of the planet occludes the surface of the moon. Some planets go through phases as visible from Earth because of the interaction of light from the sun and the planet's own shadow. read more

The planets that are farther away don't show all the phases, they are either full or pretty close to full. The reason is that to get a "new" phase, the planet or moon must be between the Earth and the Sun. Mercury and Venus can come between the Earth and the Sun and be in the "new" phase, but the outer planets can't. read more

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Why don't planets have phases like the moon?
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Why Does the Moon Have Phases?
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