View of Earth from the moon at night.
The Moon
• 5th largest moon in
Solar system
• Only ET object
visited by humans
• Larger than Pluto
Physical Properties
• 2160 miles
diameter
• Less dense than
Earth
• 1/6 gravity of
Earth
Rotation
• The same side of the
moon always faces Earth
• The moon turns once on
it’s axis every time it
rotates earth.
• We never see the back
side of the moon
• Time to get out of your
seats and partner up!
Surface
• Light areas are
peaks
• Dark areas are
great basins and
level plains
Moon general facts
• 234,000 miles
from earth
• Moon rises about
50 min. later each
day and sets 50
min. earlier each
day.
7
Moon Phases
Sun
8
1
6
Light from sun
2
Legend
1.
5
Earth
4
3
New moon
5.
Full moon
2.
Waxing Crescent
6.
Waning gibbous
3.
Waxing Quarter
7.
Waning Quarter
4.
Waxing gibbous
8.
Waning Crescent
Waning
New
Quarter
Waning
Waxing
New
Gibbous
Gibbous
Crescent
Waxing
WaxingFull
Quarter
Crescent
Everyone stand up and face the screen!
For each phase, point to the Sun
Quiz Time
• What phase are the
following images of
the moon in?
New
Waxing Crescent
Waxing Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full
Waning Gibbous
Waning Quarter
Waning Crescent
Lunar Eclipse
•Earth blocks light from reaching the moon.
•The Moon appears red during a lunar eclipse.
•Moon phase?
FULL MOON
Solar Eclipse
•Moon blocks light from the Earth.
•Do NOT look directly at a solar
eclipse.
•Moon phase?
NEW MOON
Lunar
? Eclipse
Eclipse
Earth blocks light
from the moon
Earth
Sun
Moon
Solar
? Eclipse
Eclipse
Moon blocks
light from the
Earth
Sun is
behind
Earth
Moon
Sun
Tides
• The moon’s gravity
causes tides
• Tides- daily rise
and fall of ocean
level
• More drastic during
new and full moon
– Earth sun and
moon aligned
Tides vary depending on alignment
of the Sun, Earth and Moon
Spring
Neap
Tides (cont.)
Spring Tides are more
extreme than Neap tides