Tides
What causes tides on Earth?
The gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun.
What causes Earth’s seasons?
Earth's tilt on its axis as it orbits the Sun.
What phase of the moon must it be for a solar eclipse?
New moon
What do we call the phase when the Moon is completely lit up?
Full moon
What phase of the moon do we have during a spring tide?
New moon or full moon.
Which hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun during December?
The Southern Hemisphere
What phase of the moon must it be for a lunar eclipse?
Full moon
How long does it take the Moon to go through all its phases?
About 29.5 days (a lunar cycle)
Explain why there are two high tides and two low tides each day.
The Earth experiences high tides on opposite sides due to the gravitational pull of the Moon and the centrifugal force caused by Earth's rotation.
What day of the year has the most daylight in the Northern Hemisphere?
The Summer Solstice (around June 21st)
Why don’t we have eclipses every month?
The Moon’s orbit is tilted about 5 degrees, so it usually passes above or below the Earth's shadow during most full moons and new moons
What is it called when the Moon appears to be getting smaller?
Waning
How do the Sun and Moon work together to create neap tides?
Neap tides occur when the Sun and Moon are at right angles to each other, causing the gravitational pulls to partially cancel out, making tides less extreme
Explain why it is summer in one hemisphere while it is winter in the other.
One hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, receiving more direct sunlight and longer days, while the opposite hemisphere is tilted away, receiving less sunlight and shorter days
During which type of eclipse does the Earth block sunlight from reaching the Moon?
A lunar eclipse
Explain the difference between waxing and waning phases.
"Waxing" means the visible portion of the Moon is increasing (from new moon to full moon), and "waning" means it is decreasing (from full moon to new moon).