The MOOOOOON!Phases & Eclipses

Phases – “The Inconstant Moon”

Full

New

Quarter

Crescent

Phases – “The Inconstant Moon”

Gibbous

Light vs. Dark

The line between shadow and light on the Moon has a name…

The Terminator

A Full Cycle

Start with a New Moon Light travels from Right to Left (←) Getting Full: Waxing Getting New: Waning

New

Waxing Crescent

1st Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full

Waning Gibbous

3rd Quarter

Waning Crescent

What causes the phases?

Light from the Sun – AT AN ANGLE!

Activity: Place the Moon phases in the correct location around the Earth, relative to the Sun.

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How Long does it take the Moon to go through a cycle?

SYNODIC

One full Phase Cycle New to New Moon

29.5 Days(4-ish weeks)

SIDERIAL

360° Around the Earth NOT the same as a

phase cycle!

27.3 Days(a little less)

Why is Siderial shorter than Synodic? Because the Earth is moving! The Moon must play “catch up” to

return to the New Moon position..

Moons of the Month

January: Old Moon or “Moon after Yule”

February: Snow/Hunger/Wolf Moon

March: Sap/Crow/Lenten Moon

April: Grass/Egg Moon May: Planting/Milk Moon June: Flower/Strawberry

Moon

July: Thunder/Hay Moon

August: Grain Moon September: Harvest

Moon October: Hunter’s

Moon November: Frosty

Moon December: “Moon

Before Yule” or Long Night Moon

BTW: What is a BLUE Moon?

The second of two full moons in one month.

Only happens once every 2-3 years

Not actually blue…

Next one will be on: July 31st, 2015!

If the Moon & Earth line up twice a month, why don’t they block each other?

The orbit of the Moon is at a 5° tilt from the Earth/Sun orbit.

Very rarely, all three bodies actually line up…

Eclipses! Eclipse: “To obscure”

LUNAR

The Moon is Eclipsed by the Earth

The Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon

SOLAR

The Sun is eclipsed by the Moon

The Moon’s shadow falls on the Earth

Lunar Eclipses

The Earth casts partial and full shadow .

Penumbral Eclipse: Moon passes through the Penumbra.

Partial Eclipse: Part of Moon passes through the Umbra, a chunk is in shadow.

Total Eclipse: Entire Moon passes through the Umbra

Penumbral Eclipse

Partial Eclipse

Total Eclipse

Why does the Moon turn red? Light from the Sun is still hitting the Moon It is being refracted through the Earth’s

atmosphere Only long wavelengths can bend around the Earth

and pass through the atmosphere All the world’s Dusk & Dawn light!

Solar Eclipses

The Moon casts partial and full shadow .

Partial Eclipse: Observer is in the Penumbra

Total Eclipse: Observer is in the Umbra

You have to be lucky to be in the path of a solar eclipse!

The path of the eclipse is small and travels fast! The shadow moves across the face of the Earthat 1050 mph! Most solar eclipses last under 7 minutes.

Partial Eclipse

Total Eclipse

Annular Eclipse!

The Moon’s distance from the Earth changes slightly over time

IF the Moon is particularly farther away from the Earth during a solar eclipse…

How often do Eclipses occur?

Solar: 2-5 times a year

Lunar: up to 3 times a year, sometimes none

NASA’s Eclipse Tracker

The End