the shape of the moon

The Shape of the Moon

Aubrey Joyce B. Coronico IV - Love

The Moon

• Real Scale of Earth and Moon

Earth

Moon

If you're measuring the center-to-center distance from the earth to the Moon, the distance would be about 384,403 kilometers/238,857 miles.

• Real Scale of Earth and Moon

Earth

Moon

If you're measuring the center-to-center distance from the earth to the Moon, the distance would be about 384,403 kilometers/238,857 miles.

Activity! If you want to see the size and scale the earth could be a basketball and the moon a tennis ball and the distance between the two would be 6.34 meters or 21 feet.

Are you ready to see the other side of the moon?

• What direction does the moon rotate?• The same or opposite as earth.

Answer:

• It takes the moon the same amount of time to rotate around once as it does for the moon to go around the earth once.– Therefore, earth-bound observers can

never see the 'far-side' of the moon.

Copyright © 2010 Ryan P. Murphy

It takes the moon about 27.3 Earth days to rotate once.

It takes about 27.3 Earth days for the moon to go around the earth once.

Synchronous Orbit

• The moon seems to change in shape as it turns around the earth once. The shape of the moon we see depends on its position in relation to the position of the sun and the earth.

• The changes in the shape of the moon which we seem to see are called the phases of the moon.

Phases of the Moon

Copyright © 2010 Ryan P. Murphy

• New Moon

When the moon is between the sun and the earth, we cannot see it because the sun shines on the side of the moon away from the earth. This phase is called the

“new moon”

• Waxing Crescent

After 1 or 2 days, we see a small edge of the moon lighted. This is called the

“waxing crescent moon”

• First Quarter

After about a week, half of the moon is lighted. This phase is called the

“first quarter”

• Waxing Gibbous

After a few days, we see more than half of the moon lighted. This phase is called the

“waxing gibbous moon”

• Full Moon

After 1 week, the whole side of the moon facing the earth becomes lighted. This happens when the earth is between the sun and the moon. This

phase is called the “full moon”

• Waning Gibbous

After a day or two, the lighted part becomes less, we again see a gibbous moon or it is called

“waning gibbous moon”

• Third Quarter or Last Quarter

After about a week we see only half of the moon’s face. This phase is called the

“third or last quarter”

• Waning Crescent

After a day or two, the lighted part becomes smaller producing a crescent moon or it is called

“waning crescent moon”

After 1 week, we do not see the moon at all. This means that the moon will undergo its different phases again.

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

Waning Crescent

• It takes about 29 days for the moon to go through its different phases. The exact number is 29 ½ days. The period of time within which the moon undergoes its different phases is called a month.

• The moon does not have its own light. It only reflects the light from the sun.

•From the earth, we can only see the part of the moon that reflects sunlight. The amount of light it reflects is affected by the position of the earth, sun and the moon as the earth revolves around the sun and the moon revolves around the earth.

Which is the real sun?

Our line of sight.

View from EarthNew Moon

What you see

Waxing Crescent

Waxing Crescent

View from EarthWaxing Crescent

Waxing Crescent

What you see

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

View from EarthFirst Quarter

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

What you see

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

View from EarthWaxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

What you see

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

View from EarthFull Moon

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

What you see

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

View from EarthWaning Gibbous

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

What you see

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

View from EarthLast Quarter

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

What you see

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

Waning Crescent

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

Waning Crescent

View from EarthWaning Crescent

Activity 1

Name The Phase