Exam Review: Moon Phases and Earth-Sun Connection, Exams of Astronomy

Download Exam Review: Moon Phases and Earth-Sun Connection and more Exams Astronomy in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Exam #1 on Thursday •  Chapters 1, 2-1, 2-2 and S1-2 •  50 multiple choice questions •  Bring a pencil •  Bring a calculator – no cell phones How are the motions and positions of Earth and the Sun connected to what happens on Earth? •  Earth’s rotation on its axis determines the length of the day. •  Earth’s orbit around the Sun determines the length of the year. •  The tilt of Earth’s rotational axis with respect to the plane of Earth’s orbit causes the seasons. The changing phases of the Moon originally inspired the concept of the Month Motion of the Moon •  Watch the moon night after night, and you will notice three things –  Over the course of about a month, we see the moon go through a series of phases –  It is moving relative to the background of stars –  The markings on its face don’t change The changing shape of the illuminated part of the Moon as it orbits Earth is one of the most easily observed phenomena in astronomy Phases of the Moon: 29.5-day cycle new crescent first quarter gibbous full gibbous last quarter crescent waxing •  Moon visible in afternoon/ evening. •  Gets “fuller” and rises later each day. waning •  Moon visible in late night/ morning. •  Gets “less” and sets later each day. } } How long does it take to complete the full cycle of Moon Phases? 2 Why do we see phases of the Moon? •  The Moon is Earth's nearest neighbor in space –  About 30 Earth diameters away –  Orbits the Earth once in a little under a month •  Like the Earth, the Moon orbits counter-clockwise The Cycle of Moon Phases Sunlight Sunlight Sunlight Although the Moon is always ½ lit by the Sun, we see different amounts of the lit portion from Earth depending on where the Moon is located in its orbit. Third New Moon: Where is the Moon in the orbit? First Quarter: Where is the Moon in the orbit? Full Moon: Where is the Moon in the orbit? Third Quarter: Where is the Moon in the orbit? Third