Earth Moon and the Sun Motions of the

Earth, Moon and the Sun Motions of the Earth Moon Differences & Space Visits Phases of the Moon Eclipses Tides home

S S U U N N ½ of Earth and moon are always in sunlight Sunlight The moon would look like this to someone on earth: Moon Sunlight Earth Sunlight home

Because the moon revolves around Earth, it looks different each night S U N Sunlight What the moon looks like from earth: Moon Keep clicking here to fast forward time Sunlight Moon Earth Moon Moon Sunlight home

There are 2 ways we describe a moon phase: 1) How full is it? 2) Is it growing or shrinking? If the moon is less than ½ full, it’s called a crescent moon. If the moon is more than ½ full, it’s called a gibbous moon. If you can see the right side of the moon, it’s waxing (getting bigger). If you can see the left side of the moon, it’s waning (getting smaller). home

Some names of moon phases 3 rd quarter Waning crescent Crescent: less than ½ full Gibbous: more than ½ full Waxing: getting bigger Waning: getting smaller Waning gibbous New moon Full moon Waxing crescent Waxing gibbous 1 st quarter home

Can you put these moon phases in the correct order? C B A D H E F G home

Can you put these moon phases in the correct order? L K J M Q P N O home

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Our Earth has 2 types of motion: Earth spins on its axis (this is called rotation) Earth moves around the sun (this is called revolution) North Pole home

In the time it takes Earth to do 1 revolution around the sun, the moon has done about 12 revolutions around Earth. We have 12 moonths in 1 year. Earth orbits the sun. And the moon orbits Earth. home

It looks like the sun moves around Earth, causing day and night Keep clicking here to see another day home

Every 24 hours, Earth does 1 rotation 11 12 1 10 9 8 2 3 7 6 5 4 North Pole Spacebar: start & freeze Page Up: rewind home

Day and night is caused by Earth’s rotation It looks like the sun moves across the sky – but the Earth is spinning – the sun is still! Sunlight 11 12 1 10 9 8 2 3 7 6 5 4 Sunlight S U N Spacebar: start & freeze Page Up: rewind Sunlight home

Day and night is caused by Earth’s rotation Sunset 11 12 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 2 Midnight 3 Sunlight Noon Sunlight 4 S U N Sunrise Sunlight home

The difference between night and day home

S S U U N N ½ of the Earth and moon are That’s the sunlight always in end of this section. Sunlight Click here look The moon would to go home like this to someone on earth: Moon Sunlight Earth Sunlight home

Because the sun is 400 times larger than the moon… Sun Click here to see a 6 minute video of a Total Solar Eclipse (in Turkey, 2006) Moon home

… the moon looks the same size as the sun to everyone on Earth … and the moon is 400 times closer than the sun… Sun Moon home

The moon’s orbit is slanted compared to Earth’s orbit Earth Sun home

Because the moon’s orbit is slanted compared to Earth’s orbit, the moon rarely passes exactly between Earth and the sun Well actually, when the moon passes near the sun, you cannot see the moon because we are seeing the moon’s dark side. However, let’s continue to pretend you were able to see the moon during the day… Whew! That was close! Sun Be patient, my little house friend Think they’ll cross? home

When the moon blocks out the sun, we have a solar eclipse S M E Yes – very cool Cool! home

When the moon blocks out the sun, we have a solar eclipse I’m a tree! I can see! home

Total solar eclipse home

Total solar eclipse home

In an annular solar eclipse – moon only blocks middle of sun because the moon is a little further away from Earth home

Planets between Earth and the sun (Mercury and Venus) can cause mini-eclipses, called transits. S V Transit of Venus – June 8, 2004 Venus E home

When the Earth blocks out the moon, we have a lunar eclipse S E M Can you see Earth’s shadow block out stars? Why does the moon look red instead of being completely blocked out? It’s because some light from the sun deflects off the Earth’s atmosphere and hits the moon. home

Partial lunar eclipse home

Mr. Ligon took this photo from his house during the Total Lunar Eclipse of February 20, 2008 home

A zoom-in on the previous photo home

Can you move the moon to create a solar eclipse? A lunar eclipse? Moon Sun Earth home

The blue lines on this map show the paths of all the total solar eclipses from 1951 to 2000 home

That’s the end of this section. Click here to go home http: //sunearth. gsfc. nasa. gov/eclipse/SEmap. NA/SEmap. NA. html The blue lines on this map show the paths of all the total solar eclipses from 2001 to 2050 home

Tide video links • Tides coming in/out 1 • Tides coming in/out 2 • Mystery of Tides home

The moon’s gravity pulls Earth’s water toward the moon Moon home

Because Earth rotates, the same spot on earth has 2 high tides and 2 low tides about every 24 hours 11 12 1 10 9 8 2 3 7 6 5 4 Moon Spacebar: freeze Page Up: rewind home

Make high tide Make low tide home

The French castle Mont Saint Michel is sometimes an island That’s the end of this section. Click here to go home

High tide and low tide, at the same place home

4 important differences between Earth and the moon 1. The moon is about as ¼ as wide as the earth 2. The moon is covered with craters 3. The moon has less gravity than the earth 4. The moon has no air (atmosphere) on it home

People first thought the dark, flat parts of the moon were oceans Some people named these dark regions maria – the Latin word for ocean. However, these regions are really dried out lava beds. home

Many craters can be seen easily from earth home

Moon craters were caused by objects in space that crashed into the moon home

Moon craters come in all sizes home

The moon’s gravity only 1/6 as strong as the earth’s gravity Even if you jumped as hard as you could, you would not float away from the moon. The moon has less gravity – not no gravity. To escape the moon, you must go about 5000 m. p. h. Thanks to my diet, I now weigh only 180 lbs 50 lbs Earth You would be able to lift 6 times as much weight on the moon You would only weigh 1/6 as much on the moon Thanks to my diet, I now weigh only 30 lbs 300 lbs Moon home

Remember that Galileo proved that all objects fall at the same speed if you ignore air resistance Earth home

Because the moon has no air, there is no air resistance On the earth, the air slows down the falling feather. The bowling ball is too heavy to be stopped by the air. Earth On the moon, there is no air to slow down the falling feather. The feather falls as quickly as the bowling ball. Moon home

Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the moon This is even more fun than gym! home

This photograph was taken during the first moon landing (1969) by astronaut Michael Collins – you can see the moon below and the earth in the distance home

97, 98, 99, 100. Ready or not, here I come! The moon is a fun place to play hide-andseek! home

Many countries are working together to build the International Space Station – which orbits Earth home

Chiaki Mukai That’s the end of this section. Click here to go home Col. Susan Helms Kalpana Chawla Dr. Bernard Harris Eileen Collins 7 astronauts who studied math and science Neil Armstrong Dr. Mae Jemison We’ve got room for 1 more person – want to come? home

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Our Solar System P N U S J The closer a planet is to the sun, the faster it moves M E V M Sun Sometimes Pluto is closer to the sun than Neptune home

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