Phases of the Moon

1. Phases of the Moon SPI 0607.6.3 SPI 0607.64

2. Brain Pop Moon Phases • http://www.brainpop.com/science/space/moonphases/

3. Understanding Moonlight • The light that seem to come from the moon is actually light reflected from the sun. You do not see the sun at night because at that time you are in Earth’s shadow. • Why does the Moon change shape? • Exactly half of the moon is normally lit buy the sun. So why does the moon’s shape seem to change? No matter where the moon is on its normal orbit around Earth, the sun always shines on half the moon. It just looks different because of YOUR point of view. The shape we see depends on the moon’s position in relation to Earth and the sun. • The different shapes we see are called phases. • The moon takes about 29.5 days to make one full revolution around the Earth. • This length of time is called one lunar cycle.

4. The inner circle shows the moon in orbit around Earth • Throughout the lunar cycle you can see different parts of the moon. • When the shape that we see get LARGER, the moon is said to be WAXING. • When the shape that we see gets SMALLER the moon is said to be WANING. • Because Earth rotates your part of Earth faces the moon once a day. No matter where you are on Earth, the moon phases will look the same.

5. Waxing Phases • 1.New Moon- A new moon happen when the moon is located between Earth and the Sun. • When the moon is in this position the entire bright side of the moon faces away from Earth. At this time the moon is not visible

6. How to NEVER ever forget where the NEW MOON is!!! The Earth is Edward. Both start with E. The moon is Bella because She is always caught In the middle of Edward and Jacob. The sun is Jacob because

7. 2. Waxing Crescent- crescent shape that appears to get bigger over time.

8. 3. First Quarter- half the bright side is visible.

9. 4.Waxing Gibbous- most of the moons bight side faces us.

10. 5. Full Moon- the whole lit side of the moon faces Earth. Also the moon is halfway around its orbit.

11. Waning Phases • After the full moon you begin to see less of the lit half of the moon as time passes • 6. Gibbous Moon- less of the half of the moon

12. 7. Third Quarter- half of the bright side of the moon is facing away.

13. 8. Waning Crescent- what we see of the moon is getting smaller until finally it is back at a new moon again.

14. Blue Moon • a second full moon in a calendar month • Next blue moon not until 2015?

15. Harvest Moon • The full moon that is seen nearest to the time of the autumnal equinox.

16. Draw a Diagram of the moon phases