Phases of the Moon

Phases of the Moon

Question of the Day Question: What is one interesting thing that you learned from your reading? Answer: … … … Turn In: Scale of the Solar System Reading

Phases of the Moon

Moon Formation Hypothesis • The impact theory of the moon's formation was first proposed in the mid-1970s and is now widely accepted. • According to this hypothesis, Earth's moon formed from a collision between the early Earth and a Mars-sized object. • Both Earth and its impactor had already formed iron cores before the collision, leaving their outer layers relatively iron-poor.

Moon Formation Hypothesis

Rotation • The action of turning around an axis or center • The rotation of the Moon – or a lunar day – lasts around 27.3 days. • This is the same amount of time the Moon takes to complete one orbit around the Earth. • Because the rotation of the Moon and the length of its orbit are exactly the same, the Moon always presents the same face to the Earth.

Revolution • the action by a celestial body of going round in an orbit or elliptical course

Waxing Moon • The lit part of the moon that we see is getting bigger

Waning Moon • The lit part of the moon that we see is getting smaller.

Crescent Moon: less than ¼ is lit

Gibbous Moon: More than ¼ is lit

Moon Animation

Solar Eclipse:

Lunar Eclipse:

Truman Show Moon What’s wrong with this picture?

Phases of the Moon