| Brief Explanation of the Moon Phases
The phases of the moon are caused by the relative positions of the earth, sun, and moon. The moon goes around the earth, on average, in 27 days 7 hours 43 minutes. The sun always illuminates the half of the moon facing the sun (except during lunar eclipses, when the moon passes thru the earth's shadow). When the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the earth, the moon appears "full" to us, a bright, round disk. When the moon is between the earth and the sun, it appears dark, a "new" moon. In between, the moon's illuminated surface appears to grow (wax) to full, then decreases (wanes) to the next new moon. The edge of the shadow (the terminator) is always curved, being an oblique view of a circle, giving the moon its familiar crescent shape. Because the "horns" of the moon at the ends of the crescent are always facing away from the setting or rising sun, they always point upward in the sky. It is fun to watch for paintings and pictures which show an "impossible moon" with the horns pointed downwards. (above information courtesy of NASA http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov) Other Lunar Phases Information (all links open in the same new window) NASA moon phase data - probably the best all-around tool for data and information about the sun, moon, and stars moon pictures - very interesting lunar images! This NASA page has over 130 pictures (thumbnails) of the moon. Click on a thumbnail to for more info. Close-ups of the surface of the moon, distance views, astronauts, moon landings, more. Education / Classroom Moon Phases Activities lunar phases explanation - a good explanation of the phases of the moon, with diagrams K-12 activity from nasa.gov - rather than use chalkboard diagrams to illustrate the phases, this activity uses actual objects (pencil, styrofoam ball) to help students grasp the concepts "scientific" moon phases activity - this one asks some good "thinking" questions, and has kids work in groups. This page also just happens to have a good textual overview of how the moon phases work phases explanation from factmonster.com - here's a good basic overview of the phases of the moon from the Family Education Network moon phases video demo - from NOAO (National Optical Astronomy Observatory), these are QuickTime online video clips that are an excellent way to illustrate the phases of the moon There are many theories and thoughts about the effects of the moon on people, animals, and the natural world. Here are a few interesting links: moon and the tides - this is a really good, concise page on how the moon affects the tides by it's phase (full moon, new moon, etc) and its position (perigee, apogee) moon phases and fishing - This site talks about the effects of the moon phases on fishing how moon phases affect animals - discusses the "Solunar Theory" that affects fishing and hunting activities the real scoop on moon phases - another article on how the moon phases affect angling, but provides some valuable insight into perhaps other affects the moon may have |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |