Astron. The partial illumination of the dark portion of the moon’s surface by light reflected from the earth; = earth-shine, q.v. in EARTH sb.1 B. II.
1833. Sir J. Herschel, Astron., vi. 223. It [the earth] then illuminates its [the moon’s] dark half by strong earth-light.
1854. Moseley, Astron., xlvii. (ed. 4), 151. In the conical shadow there is absolutely no light (except, perhaps, some little reflected from the earth, called earthlight).
