Moon Phases
This phase is when the Moon looks completely dark because the Sunlit side is facing away from Earth.
What is the New Moon?
This type of eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun.
What is a Solar Eclipse?
The tilt of Earth’s axis is about this many degrees.
What is 23.5°?
This word means the spinning of Earth on its axis, which causes day and night.
What is Rotation?
This phase happens when the Moon looks half lit on the right side.
What is the First Quarter?
This type of eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon.
What is a Lunar Eclipse?
This is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
What is the Summer Solstice (around June 21)?
This is the path Earth takes around the Sun, which takes about 365 days.
What is Revolution/Orbit?
This phase comes right after the Full Moon, when the lit part starts shrinking.
What is Waning Gibbous?
During a total solar eclipse, the darkest part of the Moon’s shadow is called the ____.
What is the Umbra?
These two days have equal day and night.
What are the Equinoxes (around March 21 & September 21)?
This is the part of a shadow where the light is completely blocked during an eclipse.
What is the Umbra?
If you see a small sliver of light on the left side just before the New Moon, what phase is it?
What is Waning Crescent?
True or False: You can safely look at a solar eclipse with your eyes.
What is False?
Why does the Southern Hemisphere have opposite seasons from the Northern Hemisphere?
Because when one hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, the other tilts away.
This term means the Sun’s light is spread out and less intense when it hits Earth at an angle.
What are Indirect Rays?
These are the 8 main phases of the Moon, in order starting with New Moon.
What are New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent?
Explain why lunar eclipses are visible to more people on Earth than solar eclipses.
Because Earth’s shadow is much larger than the Moon’s shadow, so more people can see it
True or False: Earth’s distance from the Sun is the main reason we have seasons.
What is False?
This line is the imaginary path that Earth spins around once every 24 hours.
What is Earth’s Axis?