Moon Phases

-The sun always touches half of the moon. -The Moon revolves around the Earth.

-During each revolution we see different portions of the lighted half of the moon.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/apollo30th/moontheater/phasepage2.html

The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon seem like it is

changing shape in the sky. 

http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/birthdayphases.htm

-Humans see the moon at different angles every night. 

-At each different angle we see more or less of the lighted half of the moon.

-These are called "phases" of the Moon. 

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lunar/why_phases.gif

-One revolution of the moon around the Earth lasts 29,5 days.

-The Moon passes through four major shapes during one cycle.

-The phases are always in the same order:1) New moon

1ª)2) First quarter

2a)3) Full moon

3a) 4) Third quarter

4a)

New Moon

-The Sun, Earth, and Moon are almost in a straight line. The Moon is between the Sun and the Earth.

-The lighted side of the Moon faces the sun, not the Earth. 

-We see the part of the moon that is NOT lighted, so we see almost no moon.

New Moon

First Quarter Moon

-The right half of the Moon appears lighted. The left side of the Moon appears dark. 

-The lighted part of the moon gets bigger and bigger every day from the New Moon to the First Quarter Moon. It will continue

to grow until the Full Moon.

First Quarter Moon

Full Moon

-The Earth, Sun, and Moon are almost in a straight line. The Earth is in the middle. 

-All of the lighted side of the Moon is facing the Earth. 

-The Moon that we see is very bright from the reflection of the sun.

Full Moon

Third Quarter

Moon

 -The left half of the Moon appears lighted, and the right side of the Moon appears dark. 

-The lighted part of the moon gets smaller and smaller every day from the Full Moon to the Third Quarter Moon. It will continue to get

smaller until the New Moon.

Third Quarter Moon

There are also four other phases of the Moon

sometimes used.

Crescent Moon

This moon is smaller than a quarter.

http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/birthdayphases.html

Crescent Moon

http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/birthdayphases.html

Gibbous Moon

This Moon is bigger than a quarter moon.

http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/birthdayphases.html

Gibbous Moon

http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/birthdayphases.html

Moon phases

http://www.opencourse.info/astronomy/introduction/04.motion_moon/moon_phases.gif

Waxing & Waning

http://www.nasm.si.edu/apollo30th/moontheater/phasepage4.html

http://www.nasm.si.edu/apollo30th/moontheater/phasepage4.html

http://www.calvin.edu/~lmolnar/moon/images/phases.gif