Moon Phases & More
What are the phases of the moon in order?
new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent
A solar eclipse occurs when
the moon's shadow falls on earth
When it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, what season is it in the Northern Hemisphere?
Winter
What is a constellation?
A group of stars in certain patterns
How many degrees is Earth's axis tilted?
23.5 degrees
What is a phase?
is the change in the sunlit area of one celestial body, such as the moon, as seen from another celestial body, such as Earth.
A lunar eclipse occurs when
Earth's shadow falls on the moon
How many days does it take the Earth to revolve once around the sun?
365 days
What is an orbit?
An orbit is the path that a body follows as it travels around another body in space
The sun rises and sets where?
rises in the east and sets in the west
What is the umbra?
The darkest part of the shadow
What happens during a partial lunar eclipse?
only part of the moon passes through the umbra. The part of the moon that passes through Earth's shadow becomes dark.
What causes the seasons? You need 2 details here to be correct!
The tilting of Earth's axis and Earth's orbit around the sun causes seasons.
How many days make up a lunar month?
29.5 days
In Summer when the sun is higher in the sky, solar energy is
more intense
What is the penumbra?
The lightest part of the shadow.
When does the penumbral eclipse occur?
Are they easy to see?
The penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the penumbra. While total and partial eclipses are easy to observe, penumbral eclipses are difficult to see.
What is an equinox & on what two days do they occur?
Bonus points if you can name the other names for the equinoxes
Equinox is a name given to the two days that have equal hours of day and night. March 20th is the Spring Equinox and September 21st/22nd is the Fall Equinox.
Spring- Vernal
Fall- Autumnal
In Winter, when the sun is lower in the sky, the sun's energy reaches Earth at a lesser angle making the energy
less intense
What will people see from the penumbra during a solar eclipse?
During a solar eclipse, people who observe from the penumbra will see a partial solar eclipse, since, from their point of view, the moon only blocks part of the sun's light.
When does a total solar eclipse occur?
when the sun appears to be completely blocked except for a bright halo of light. A total eclipse only happens when the Earth, moon, and sun are in a straight line.
When does a total lunar eclipse occur?
What does the moon look like during one of these?
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the umbra of the Earth.
Instead of being totally dark, the moon often appears to be a rusty red color because Earth's atmosphere bends some sunlight into the shadow.
What is a solstice and on what days do they occur?
Solstices mark the two days of the year when the Earth's axis is tilted towards or away from the sun. June 21st is the summer solstice. It is the longest day of the year (most sunlight). While December 21st/22nd is the winter solstice. It is the shortest day of the year (least sunlight).
What season is it when the Earth is tilted away from the sun?
What season is it when the Earth is tilted towards the sun?
Winter & Summer
When does an annular solar eclipse occur?
when they are in a straight line. However, the moon is farther away from Earth in its orbit, and the umbra shadow does not quite reach Earth. So, the moon does not completely cover the sun.
The sun's outer edges (Corona) can be seen as a ring of light around the darker center during an annular eclipse.