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SPACE. The Lunar Cycle and Tides. For centuries, human beings have been fascinated by the moon…by the way it changes shape, causes our tides, and creates eclipses. A cow has jumed over the moon…and an old man lives on it.
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SPACE The Lunar Cycle and Tides
For centuries, human beings have been fascinated by the moon…by the way it changes shape, causes our tides, and creates eclipses. A cow has jumed over the moon…and an old man lives on it. Humans have worshipped the moon, feared the moon, and created numerous superstitions about the moon. It has even been known to alter human behaviour (people have been known to go “looney”) The Moon
While these stories are interesting, they don’t really help us understand what happens. • We only see the Moon because sunlight reflects back to us from its surface. • The moon looks like it’s changing shape all the time (moon phases), but that’s just what it looks like to us on Earth.
In reality, from space, the moon always looks the same, half light, and half dark. • This is because half of the moon is always facing the sun and the other half is in shadow. • But for us on Earth, it looks like it’s changing shape because the moon is orbiting around us. • Animation
It takes 27.3 days for the moon to make one complete lunar cycle (or one month)… • …and the only time we get an accurate view of the moon is at the half moon each month. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhokvJZFURg
One last animation, just to be sure. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWOX7dgC2Bk
Tides • The moon also affects the tides in our oceans as it revolves around the earth. • The gravitational pull between the Earth and the moon and the Earth and the sun, create a bulge of water every day. • When the gravitational forces of the moon and sun combine to pull in the same direction we get our biggest tides (spring tides)… • …and we get our lowest tides (neap tides) when these forces pull in different directions.
How Tides Work? • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ohDG7RqQ9I