Standard/ Element/Essential
Questions
Standard
– Students will understand the effects of the relative positions of the earth, moon and sun.
–
Element a. Demonstrate the phases of the moon by showing the alignment of the earth, moon and sun.
Essential Question
– Why does the moon appear to change shapes?

A look at our nearest neighbor in Space!

The Moon’s Surface
• No atmosphere
• No liquid water
• Extreme temperatures
– Daytime = 265°F
– Nighttime = -310 
F
• 1/6 Earth’s gravity

Lunar Features
• craters- holes more on far side, caused by meteoroids
• maria- dark, flat plains on the moon
• highlands-mountains

Craters
Maria

Lunar Features - Maria
• Darkest parts of lunar landscape

How the moon was formed:
• The moon is only ¼ the size of Earth!
• Collision Theory- “Born”
4-5 billion years ago
• Formed from impact of
Mars-sized asteroid into
Earth. Debris from both objects melted together to form the Moon

American Museum of Natural
History: how the moon was formed.
• http://www.amnh.org/sciencebulletins/?sid
=a.v.moon.20061004

Movements of the Moon
• Revolution – Moon orbits the Earth every 27.3 days
• The moon rises in the east and sets in the west
• The moon rises and sets
50 minutes later each day
• Rotation – Moon turns on its axis every 27 days
• Same side of Moon always faces Earth

Far Side of the Moon
• First seen by Russian space probe in 1959
- More craters
– Very few maria
– Thicker crust

It’s Just a Phase
• The different shapes of the moon that we see from earth are called its phases.
• Phases are caused by the position of the earth, moon and sun and those positions change every day.
• ***The phase of the moon we see depends on the amount of the sunlit side of the moon that faces earth.
• Moon phasesmoon phases code cfp 5013

Waxing and Waning
• New moon
• Waxing Crescent moon
• First Quarter moon
• Waxing Gibbous moon
• Full moon
• Waning Gibbous moon
• Third Quarter moon
• Waning Crescent moon
• New moon
SUN crescent last (third)quarter moon orbit`s earth waning Moon gibbous moon earth full moon new moon
crescent waxing Moon first quarter gibbous moon

Eclipses
• Eclipse-caused when an object in space comes between the sun and another objects, casting a shadow on that object.
• Solar eclipse- occurs at the new moon phase when the moon passes between
Earth and the sun, blocking the sunlight from reaching Earth.
• Animation of solar eclipse:
• http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/ ess05/sci/ess/eiu/totaleclipse/index.html

Eclipses continued…
• Lunar eclipse- occurs at a full moon when
Earth is directly between the moon and the sun.
• Animation of a lunar eclipse:
• http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/t erc/content/visualizations/es2504/es2504page0
1.cfm?chapter_no=visualization

• 1950s to 1960s – just sent probes
• Neil Armstrong
First man on the Moon
– July 20, 1969
• Six Apollo missions
(1969-1972)
– 842 lbs of rocks
• 12 Americans have walked on the moon
Exploring the
Moon

Name this phase!
What time does this phase rise and set?

Name these features.
Name these features.

Does this image show us the near side or far side of the moon?
How can you tell?

Does this image show the near side or the far side of the moon?

Name this phase!

Name this phase!

From what direction does the moon rise?

Name this phase!

Name this phase!

What might be happening in this image?
Lunar Eclipse

Name this phase!
Look closely!

True or False:
The Far Side and the
Dark Side of the moon are the same thing.

Name this phase!

Name this phase!

Does the moon rise or set in the west?

Name this phase!

Name this phase!

Name this phase!

Closer
• Differentiate between a solar and lunar
Differentiate between a solar and lunar eclipse.
How are the earth, sun, and moon arranged during solar and lunar eclipses?