Vocabulary
As earth moves around the sun, it spins
Rotation
The Moon is not visible because its sunlit side is facing away from Earth
New moon
Are solar eclipses safe to view with the naked eye
Are lunar eclipses safe to watch?
Yes
full moon
Highest in the sky, between east west.
The path an object follows as it moves around another object.
Orbit
The entire illuminated side of the Moon is visible
Full moon
What is the order for a solar eclipse
Sun, Moon, Earth
What is a lunar eclipse?
occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon
First quarter
West in the sky
The line one which an object rotates.
Rotation axis
Half of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible
First quarter
Why do we not have a solar eclipse every month
the Moon's orbit is tilted relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun
How long does a lunar eclipse last?
30 minutes to over an hour
Third quarter
East in there sky
The motion of one object around another object.
Revolution
A thin sliver of the Moon's illuminated side becomes visible, growing larger each night
Waxing crescent
How long does a total solar eclipse last?
7 Minutes
When does a lunar eclipse occur?
only happens during a full moon phase, when the Moon is fully illuminated by the Sun.
Waning gibbous
north,east in the sky
Is a day when earth’s rotation axis is the most toward away from the sun.
Solstice
More than half of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible, but it's shrinking.
waning crescent
Why solar eclipses only happen during a new moon:
during a new moon, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun's light
Why is the Moon red during a lunar eclipse?
the Earth's atmosphere scatters blue light, allowing the redder wavelengths of light to pass through and reach the Moon.
waxing gibbous
north, west in the sky