Vocabulary
what does illuminate mean?
to shine light on an objective and make it visible.
How does the moon gets its own light?
The moon does not make its own light; the sun illuminates the Moon.
How long it takes the earth to complete one revolution around the sun?
One year or 365 days
How long does it take for the moon to complete one revolution around the Earth?
28.5-29 days, or one month
What is waxing?
Increasing
What does the terminator mean?
the border between light and dark on the moon
In what way does sunlight travel through space to reach Earth?
Light travels in straight lines in order to reach earth.
What holds the sun, earth, and moon together ?
gravity
What is Waning?
Decreasing
How long it takes the Earth to do one full rotation on its axis?
24 hours or 1 day.
What is orbit?
the nearly circular path a smaller object (like the Moon) travels around a larger object (like Earth)
Given the vast distances between Earth, the Moon, and the Sun, why do the Moon and the Sun appear to be almost the same size in the sky, even though the Sun is much larger than the Moon?
The Sun looks the same size as the Moon because it’s much farther away from Earth than the Moon is. This makes them look similar in size from here.
Why is it important for the earth to be tilted on its axis at 23.5 degrees?
Earth’s tilted axis (23.5 degrees) causes the Sun’s light to hit different parts of Earth at varying angles throughout the year, creating seasons.
If you look up tonight and you see the Moon in the waxing gibbous phase. How long will it take for you to see the waxing gibbous phase again?
one month
What phase is the moon in when a lunar eclipse occurs?
Full moon
What is rotation?
The spinning motion of a celestial body around its axis.
Why can't we see the dark side of the moon?
We can’t see the dark side of the Moon because the Moon is tidally locked to Earth, meaning it rotates at the same rate it orbits Earth. This keeps the same side facing us at all times, so the other side, often called the "far side," is never visible from Earth.
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun’s light. This can only occur during a new moon and can appear as a partial, total, or annular eclipse.
What effect does the moon have on earth? There is three important reasons write them down.
The Moon’s gravitational pull creates tides in Earth’s oceans, causing regular rises and falls in sea levels. The Moon helps stabilize Earth’s axial tilt, which keeps our seasons relatively consistent. The Moon reflects sunlight, providing natural light at night, especially during its fuller phases.
What is the Antikythera Mechanism?
It was used to predict astronomical events, including eclipses, and track the movements of celestial bodies like the Sun and Moon. The Antikythera Mechanism is often considered the world’s first analog computer.
What is a revolution?
The movement of one object around another, such as Earth’s yearly journey around the Sun.
Why does the Moon look like it has different shapes throughout the month, even though the Sun always illuminates half of it?
The Moon looks like it changes shape because, as it orbits Earth, we see different parts of its sunlit half. This creates the phases we observe, like crescent, quarter, and full moon.
Why cant we see a lunar eclipse every month?
We don’t see a lunar eclipse every month because the Moon’s orbit is tilted, so it usually passes above or below Earth’s shadow. A lunar eclipse only happens when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align perfectly during a full moon.
Name the 8 phases of the moon in chronological order starting from new moon.
new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent
How was the moon formed?
The most widely accepted theory of the Moon's formation is the Giant Impact Hypothesis. According to this theory, about 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized object (often called Theia) collided with the young Earth. The impact was so powerful that it ejected large amounts of debris from Earth's outer layers into space. Over time, this debris gathered and fused to form the Moon. This theory explains why the Moon’s composition is similar to Earth’s outer layers.