The Moon Flashcards
What is a month?
Roughly the time it takes for the moon to orbit around the Earth
Name the moon cycle
New moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent
How much we see of the lit half depends on what
It depends on where the moon is in its orbit
What happens during the Moon’s orbit?
The moon changes from a full moon to nothing and back again
Why does this happen?
It happens because we only see part of the moon which reflects light from the sun
How does a lunar eclipse work?
Sometimes the Moon’s orbit takes it into the Earth’s shadow so it dims out, some sunlight is refracted into the Earth’s atmosphere, red light absorbed the least, Moon appears red.
When does a lunar eclipse happen?
Every 18 months, as the Moon’s orbit is not in the same place as the Earth’s
How does a solar eclipse happen?
Sometimes the Moon’s orbit puts it in between the Sun’s and the Earth’s so it blocks out sunlight
When does this happen?
Every 18 months, although the Moon and its shadow is quite small, so only visible from a small part of the Earth’s surface
