Phases of the Moon
About how long does it take for the moon to go through it's full cycle?
1 month
How much of the Moon's surface is illuminated by the Sun?
Always exactly half
How much of the Moon's surface is toward the Earth?
Always exactly half
What phase of the Moon appears close to the Sun in the sky, but not in conjunction (the closest approach).
Crescent
What phase of the Moon appears far from the Sun in the sky, but not in opposition (the farthest away).
Gibbous
What determines the phase of the Moon?
How much the 50% of the surface that is illuminated overlaps with the 50% that faces the Earth
At times even the dark side of the moon is bright enough to see (although still much dimmer than the light side of the moon). Why is this?
Light from the Sun is reflected off of the Earth in the same way we see it reflect off of the moon. This light from the Earth is quite bright and illuminates part of the moon not already illuminated by the Sun.
Relative to the Sun and to the Earth, where is the moon located when it is in the full moon phase?
On the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun
During what times of day is the new moon in the sky?
The new moon rises and sets at about the same time as the sun
What is the technical name for the line separating the light and dark sides of the moon?
The terminator
Viewing the moon from a small town in North America you realize that exactly half of it is illuminated on the left side. What phase is this?
Third quarter
When the moon is over half lit and appears to be growing larger it is called a...
Waxing gibbous
