The Moon
Where did the Moon come from?
Hypothesis
Problem
The Earth & Moon are
not enough alike.
Daughter
The Earth never spun
that fast.
Pick-up
The Earth & Moon are
too much alike.
Giant Impact
The Earth’s mantle
(currently accepted) doesn’t show evidence
of melting.
Sister
Moon Phases
Moon Phases
Eclipses
Solar Eclipse:
-The moon is
positioned between
the sun and Earth.
-The light from the
sun is blocked by the
moon.
-It can be a total,
partial, or annular
eclipse.
Lunar Eclipse:
- The moon is positioned behind
the Earth, and in line with the
Earth and sun.
- The light from the
sun is blocked
(mostly) by the
Earth, so the moon
does not reflect
much light.
Umbra & Penumbra
• Umbra: The darkest part of the
shadow. Someone standing in the
umbra experiences a total eclipse.
• Penumbra: Only a portion of the light
is blocked. It is a partial shadow.
Someone standing in the penumbra
experiences only a partial eclipse.
Umbra & Penumbra
The plane
of the
Ecliptic
affects
how well
the three
line up!
Requirements for Total Eclipses
Solar
Lunar
1) New Moon
1) Full Moon
2) Moon in plane of
ecliptic
2) Moon in plane of
ecliptic
3) Moon at perigee
(closest to Earth)
Tides
In
Out
Tides
Why do we have tides?
• The moon has gravitational pull. This
pulls the water on the Earth towards
the moon.
• The sun has gravitational pull. This
pulls the water on Earth towards the
sun.
Tides
Tides
Spring:
The sun, moon, and
Earth line up. This
results in BIG pull,
making the highest
tides.
Neap:
The sun, Earth and
moon are at a 90
degree angle to each
other. This pulls the
water in two
directions. Tides are
not as high.
Tide Table
Fluctuations
in Tides -
Moon Surface Features