The moon is Earth’s natural satellite.

Chapter 2.2

The moon rotates as it orbits

240,000 mi away from the earthIt would take a jet 20 days to get to

the moon

You always see the same side (near side)of the moonIt always keeps one side turned toward EarthThe moon turns once on it own axis each time

it orbits earth.

Moon’s SurfaceMare (MAH-ray):

The dark areas on the moon.Solidified lavaCreated when the

moon was young and craters filled in with lava.

Lunar Highlands: The lighter colored

areas They are at higher

altitudesRocky

The Moon has layers.

core

mantle

crust

Structure of the Moon

The moon reflects the sun’s light.Have ever seen the Moon in the daylight?

It is not as noticeable but you can see during the day sometimes.

What you see as moonlight is really light the Sun reflected by the Moon’s surface.

It takes about a month for the Moon to orbit the earth and go through all of the phases.

Positions of the Sun and Moon affect Earth.

Lunar phases are different views of the Moon’s sunlit half.

Moon

Earth

2.3

VISUALIZATIONCLASSZONE.COMExplore lunar phases.

Shadows in space cause eclipsesEclipse:

An event during which one object in space casts a shadow onto another.

On Earth, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves through Earth’s shadow.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon’s shadow crosses Earth.

Eclipseumbra

The dark, central region of a shadow, such as the cone of complete shadow cast by an object.

PenumbraA region of lighter shadow that may surround

an umbra; for example, the spreading cone of lighter shadow cast by a space object.

umbra

penumbra

The Moon’s gravity causes tides as Earth turns

Moon

low tide

High tide

rotation of Earth