Photometry is one of the main methods of planetary remote sensing. The opposition effect is a sharp surge in brightness around zero phase angles. Research on opposition effect is an important branch of photometry and also is an important tool in remote sensing of the Moon. In this paper, we reviewed the main laboratory experiments, which depend on simulate samples, lunar soil samples, telescope observations and spacecraft data, performed by all kinds of work on the lunar opposition effect. And we also reviewed the theoretical development of the lunar opposition effect (i.e., the major causes of the lunar opposition effect): the shadow hiding mechanism causes the lunar opposition effect, which includes the famous models (Hapke model and Lumme & Bowell model); then, the coherent backscatter mechanism; and now, the model combining the shadow hiding and coherent backscatter. China has sponsored the Change plan of lunar exploration, and the plan along with the SMART-1 gives a good chance to lunar opposition effect research when the data on the opposition surge at very small phase angles are obtained by the spacecrafts.