For Creative Minds - Moon Observations, Summaries of Astronomy

Download For Creative Minds - Moon Observations and more Summaries Astronomy in PDF only on Docsity! The months as we know them (January, February, etc.) are solar, based on how many days it takes the earth to revolve around the sun, roughly divided by twelve. A moon-th, or lunar (moon) month, is based on how long it takes the moon to orbit around the earth. The phases (shapes) of the moon change according to its cycle as it rotates around the earth, and the position of the moon with respect to the rising or setting sun. This cycle lasts about 29 ½ days. A (moon) month starts on “day one” with a new moon. The sun and the moon are in the same position and rise and set together. We can’t see the new moon. The moon rises and sets roughly 50 minutes later each day. The moon appears to “grow” or it waxes each day from a new moon to a full moon. The waxing moon’s bright side points at the setting sun and can be seen in the late afternoon on a clear day. A crescent moon is between new and half (less than half full), and may be waxing or waning. The half-moon waxing or first quarter moon occurs about a week after the new moon. The moon is a quarter of the way through its rotation, but it looks “half full.” The first quarter moon is highest in the sky when the sun sets. A gibbous (fat) moon is between half and full (more than half) and may be waxing or waning. As it approaches full, the moon appears to be getting bigger and is visible in the east in the afternoon. First Quarter Full Moon Waxing Gibbous New Moon Waxing Crescent The For Creative Minds educational section may be photocopied or printed from our website by the owner of this book for educational, non-commercial uses. Cross-curricular teaching activities, interactive quizzes, and more are available online. Go to www.ArbordalePublishing.com and click on the book’s cover to explore all the links. For Creative Minds Moon Observations About two weeks after the new moon, the full moon rises when the sun sets and sets when the sun rises. The full moon reaches its highest point in the sky at midnight. The moon appears to get smaller, or to wane, after the full moon. The bright side of the moon points to the rising sun. The half-moon waning is also called the third-quarter moon because it is three-quarters of the way in its rotation around the earth. The third-quarter moon is highest in the sky when the sun rises and can be seen in the morning on a clear day. As the moon approaches its new moon phase once again, its sliver (or crescent) is visible in the eastern sky just before sunrise, then after the new moon, in the western sky just after sunset. Waning Crescent New Moon Third Quarter Waning Gibbous Look up the moon-rise in your newspaper, in an almanac, or on the Internet. Mark the new moon as “day one” on a calendar. Each day, keep your eyes open to see whether you see the moon. Draw a picture of what it looks like on your calendar. Do this for one full lunar month. A Lunar Project The phrase “once in a blue moon” means something that happens occasionally or not very often. A blue moon happens when there are two full moons in one calendar month. For example you might have a full moon on the 1st or 2nd of a given month and then another one on the 30th or the 31st. The second full moon is the blue moon. What is a “blue moon”?