The document discusses the phases of the moon and provides definitions and diagrams to explain them. It notes that the moon's phases are caused by its orbit around Earth over the course of about 29.5 days. As the moon orbits Earth, the same side always faces our planet due to synchronous rotation. The worksheet guides labeling diagrams of the moon's phases and answering questions to demonstrate understanding of the lunar cycle.
The document discusses the phases of the moon and provides definitions and diagrams to explain them. It notes that the moon's phases are caused by its orbit around Earth over the course of about 29.5 days. As the moon orbits Earth, the same side always faces our planet due to synchronous rotation. The worksheet guides labeling diagrams of the moon's phases and answering questions to demonstrate understanding of the lunar cycle.
The document discusses the phases of the moon and provides definitions and diagrams to explain them. It notes that the moon's phases are caused by its orbit around Earth over the course of about 29.5 days. As the moon orbits Earth, the same side always faces our planet due to synchronous rotation. The worksheet guides labeling diagrams of the moon's phases and answering questions to demonstrate understanding of the lunar cycle.
The document discusses the phases of the moon and provides definitions and diagrams to explain them. It notes that the moon's phases are caused by its orbit around Earth over the course of about 29.5 days. As the moon orbits Earth, the same side always faces our planet due to synchronous rotation. The worksheet guides labeling diagrams of the moon's phases and answering questions to demonstrate understanding of the lunar cycle.
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The Phases of the Moon Worksheet
Objective: To determine the lunar phases relative to the Moon’s position in orbit around the Earth.
Introduction: The sequential changes in the appearance of the Moon are called lunar phases. The length of time it takes for the Moon to go through a complete cycle of phases is called a synodic (or lunar) month.
The length of a synodic month is about 29.5 days, which is longer than the 27.3 days it takes for one revolution (sidereal month), or orbit, around Earth.
Synchronous rotation synchronous rotation describes a body orbiting another, where the orbiting body takes as long to rotate on its axis as it does to make one orbit; and therefore always keeps the same hemisphere pointed at the body it is orbiting.
As the Moon orbits Earth, the same side faces Earth at all times because the Moon has a synchronous rotation, spinning exactly once each time it goes around Earth.
Procedure: Show how the moon would look like from the Earth at each position, by shading in the dark part in the diagram section.
Label each of the phases of the moon on the diagrams below.
Use the definitions given and the phases of the moon diagrams to assist in completing the drawings
Answer all questions in the Observation section.
Label the Moon Phases Diagram Read the definitions, then label the moon phases diagram below.
Definitions
Crescent Moon - when we can see only a sliver of New Moon - when the moon's disk is dark (and the moon's disk (the side of the moon facing us) invisible to us) because the moon is between the sun and the Earth Full Moon - when the moon's disk is light because the Earth is between the sun and the moon Quarter Moon - (also called half moon) when we can see one half of the moon's disk (this is one- Gibbous Moon - when we can see roughly three- quarter of the entire moon's surface) quarters of the moon's disk Waning Moon - when the moon seems to be Half Moon - (also called quarter moon) when we getting smaller, going from full to gibbous to half can see one half of the moon's disk (this is one- to crescent to new quarter of the entire moon's surface) Waxing Moon - when the moon seems to be getting bigger, going from new to crescent to half to gibbous to full
1. Identify those phases in figure 1 that are waxing and waning?
Waxing Waning
2, 3, 4 6, 7, 8
2. Which side is lit when the Moon is waxing or getting larger? Right 3. During which lunar phases do we see only 50% of the Moon lit? First and third Quarter
4. How long is a synodic month? 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes 3 seconds
5. Why is there a difference between a synodic month and a sidereal month? The sidereal month is
the time the Moon takes to complete one full revolution around the Earth with respect to the
background stars. And Synodic is the time it takes for the Moon to complete one full revolution
in regards to a celestial body
6. What phase is the Moon when it is highest at solar noon? First Quarter
7. Why do we always see the same side of the moon? because its rotation period is the same as
that of its orbit around the Earth
8. In what phase must the moon be in for a lunar eclipse to occur? New
