Moon Phases!
Did you know:
The moon does not make its own light; It reflects light from from the sun!
The moon does not make its own light; It reflects light from from the sun!
· The Sun continuously illuminates half of the Moon’s surface, but varying amounts of it are visible from Earth at any moment
· Changes in visibility of the Moon’s surface follow a predictable pattern called the lunar cycle
· The positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon as they move through space cause the lunar phases to occur to viewers from Earth
· The Moon revolves around the Earth about every 28 days
The lunar phases occur in order: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent
· The lunar phases change about every 3.5 days
Vocabulary!
Waxing: the moon at any time after new moon and before full moon, so called because its illuminated area is increasing.
Waning: the moon at any time after full moon and before new moon (so called because its illuminated area is decreasing).
Crescent: the figure of the moon in its first or last quarter, resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends.
Gibbous: Astronomy. (of a heavenly body) convex at both edges, as the moon when more than half full.
Revolution:
Crescent: the figure of the moon in its first or last quarter, resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends.
Gibbous: Astronomy. (of a heavenly body) convex at both edges, as the moon when more than half full.
Revolution: