Moon Phases and Eclipses: HC 6th grade science
The ________ moon appears to shrink each day
waning
Describe the "gibbous phase" of the moon
More of the moon is visible during the second week of this phase. This is when the the near side is more than half lit but not fully lit
We can see the moon because it _________ the light of the sun
reflects
The ________ moon appears to grow each day
waxing
What are the two phases of a waxing moon and how do they appear?
Waxing - growing in illumination 1. Waxing crescent - less than half moon 2. Waxing gibbous - more than half moon
The fraction of the moon that receives sunlight ______ changes
never
The dark and light spots of the moon do not change over the course of a month because only _____ ______ _____ _____ ______ faces the Earth.
one side of the moon
The moon is only visible from Earth when it ________ the sunlight that reaches the moon
reflects
The pull of Earth's gravity keeps the moon, Earth's natural _______ , in orbit around Earth
satellite
The lunar cycle begins with a _______ _______
new moon
How long is the moon phase?
28.5 days
Satellite
A body that orbits a larger body
Gravity
A force that pulls other object with mass toward themselves
What causes the lunar phases that we see from Earth?
As the moon revolves around the Earth, the portion of the moon that reflects sunlight back to Earth changes, causing the moon's appearance to change
Eclipse
Is an event during which one object in space casts a shadow onto another
Describes what is happening during the shrinking or waning phase of the moon
During the third week of the lunar cycle the moon's near side in the sunlight decreases and seems to shrink or wane.
Which shape of the moon will you never see during the daytime?
For the moon to be visible during the day, it must be up in the sky at the same time as the sun, but not so close to the sun in the sky that you can't see it. The full moon rises at sunset, is up all night, and sets at sunrise, so you can't see a full moon in the daytime.
What phase is the moon during a total eclipse?
New moon phase
Describe a "new moon"
The Earth, the sun, and the moon are lined up so that the near side of the moon is unlit. It appears that there is no moon in the sky
What is the relationship between the Earth, the sun, and the moon in space?
The Earth-moon system is itself in orbit around the sun, The mass of the sun exerts a large gravitational pull on the Earth-moon system. This gravitational pull keeps the Earth-moon system in orbit around the sun
Describe the lunar phase called the "first quarter"
The crescent moon becomes thicker as the moon waxes, or grows. When half of the near side of the moon is in the sunlight, the the moon has completed one quarter of its cycle
Umbra
The darkest part of a shadow
Lunar phases
The different appearances of the moon from Earth throughout the month
Penumbra
The lighter part of a shadow
Why can the moon be in complete darkness during a lunar eclipse?
The moon can be in darkness because the moon is small enough to fit entirely within Earth's umbra (shadow)
Where is the moon in its orbit at the time of a solar eclipse?
The moon is between the sun and earth
Explain why the moon can be seen from Earth
The moon is visible from Earth when it reflects the sunlight that reaches the moon
What happens during a lunar eclipse?
The moon moves through Earth's shadow
What is the name of the one side of the moon that faces the Earth?
The near side of the moon
What is a total solar eclipse?
The sun's light is completely blocked by the moon
What is a solar eclipse?
When the moon is directly between the sun and Earth, the shadow of the moon falls on part of the Earth
Describe a full moon
When the moon is halfway through its cycle, the whole near side of the moon is in sunlight and we see a full moon
The impact craters on the moon were created by collisions with _______, meteorites, and astroids
comets
It is Earth's ___________ ______ that keeps the moon in orbit around Earth, forming the Earth-moon system
gravitational pull
The moon's ________ affects the ocean's tides on Earth
gravity
When the moon is in Earth's umbra, a total ______ eclipse is occurring
lunar
The moon takes about one ________ to orbit the Earth
month
