Phases of the Moon

Astronomy Unit/ 4th Grade

Sears School, Kenilworth
Sarah Packer-February, 2010
 The Moon
The Moon is the Earth’s
satellite.
 A satellite is an object that
goes around, or orbits, a
larger object, such as a
planet.


 The Moon orbits the Earth as

the Earth orbits the Sun.
 How far away is the
moon?


 The moon is at an average

distance of 238,855 miles
(384,400 kilometers) away from
Earth. That is about the width of
30 Earths.
 Where did the Moon
come from?
• Scientists theorize that an
asteroid hit the Earth billions
of years ago. A Chunk of the
Earth was knocked off and
became the Moon. The
Earth’s gravity keeps the
Moon in orbit.
• The Earth and the Moon are
• What is Moonlight?
• Moonlight is actually sunlight
reflecting off the Moon’s surface.
The Sun illuminates the Moon.
•
• Half of the Moon is always
illuminated (lit) by the Sun.
However, on earth, we only see
different parts of this illumination
during the month.
•
 Does the Moon Really Change
Shape?



The Moon is always the same shape.
However, as the Moon orbits the Earth,
we see different amount of the Sun’s
light reflecting from the

Moon.

This makes the moon look different on

each of its 29 day cycle.
 The Phases of the Moon:
Bill Nye’s Explanation

•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl89fdJ

•
 Moon Phase Vocabulary:

• New Moon: You can barely see a new

moon. The Moon is between the Earth and
the Sun.
 The side in shadow faces the Earth. The
Sunlit side faces away.


• Quarter Moon: We see this half moon

when the moon is a quarter of the way
through its phases.
•
• Full Moon: We see a full Moon when the
Earth is between the Sun and the Moon.
Direct sunlight reflects from the Moon.
 Full Moon:
•
•
•
• Third Quarter Moon: First
Quarter Moon:


 New Moon:
• Crescent: A thin sliver of the Moon


• Waxing: Increase slowly over time.

(Wax On!)
•
• Waning: Decrease slowly over time
(Wane Off!)


• Gibbous: More than half, less than

full.



•


 Waning Gibbous Full moon

Waxing Gibbous :
r

1st
Last Quarter Quarter

Waning Waxing
Crescent Crescent
 Just for Fun: Phases of the
Moon Rap
•
•
•
•
•
•
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQRN

COOKIE MOON PHASES:
A Hands-On Lunar
Exploration

W e w illsta rt in a m in u te .
P le a se a w a it
In stru ctio n s….
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