Planets shine, light reflects.

Meaning: This sentence explains that the planets appear to shine because they reflect sunlight.

Choice of Words: Planets do not produce their own light but reflect sunlight. Shine means to emit light. Reflect means to bounce light or energy back from a surface.

Alternative Expressions

The planets shine brightly, reflecting the light of the sun.

Meaning: This sentence is telling us that all of the planets in our solar system give off a lot of light and that light bounces off of them.

Choice of Words: The planets refers to all of the planets in our solar system. Shine brightly means to emit a lot of light. Reflecting means to bounce off of a surface. The light of the sun refers to the light that comes from the sun. When you put it all together, "The planets shine brightly, reflecting the light of the sun" means that all of the planets in our solar system emit a lot of light and that light bounces off of them.

The planets are illuminated by the sun's rays, which bounce off of their surfaces.

Meaning: This sentence is telling us that all of the planets in our solar system are lit up by the light that comes from the sun and that light bounces off of them.

Choice of Words: The planets refers to all of the planets in our solar system. Are illuminated means to be lit up. The sun's rays refers to the light that comes from the sun. Which bounce off of their surfaces means that the light bounces off of the planets. When you put it all together, "The planets are illuminated by the sun's rays, which bounce off of their surfaces" means that all of the planets in our solar system are lit up by the light that comes from the sun and that light bounces off of them.

Related Expressions