Our View of the Moon

1. Our View of the Moon Science: Grade 4 and 5

2. Vocabulary • Phases are different shapes of the moon that we see from Earth • Reflect when light bounces off an object’s surface • Waxing when the lit part of the moon that we see gets bigger. • Waning when the lit part of the moon that we see gets smaller

3. Moon Phases • Does the moon’s shape really change? • No, the moon goes through phases. • It is a round ball, but the shape of how we see the moon depends on the way the moon is positioned from Earth.

4. Moon Phases • The moon REFLECTS light from the sun • The sun shines on one –half of the moon • The side of the moon we see is part of the half-lit moon.

5. Four Main Phases of the Moon • New moon when the bright side of the moon faces away from Earth. We see the dark side • Full moon opposite of the new moon; the moon is its largest and brightest.

6. Crescent and Gibbous phases • Crescent phase we see a sliver of the bright side of the moon • Gibbous phase we see about ¾ of the bright side

7. Four Main Phases of the Moon • First quarter half the lit-side can be seen; moon looks like a half-circle • Last quarter we see the opposite half of the moon’s lit side.

8. Why do we see phases?

9. Why do we see phases? • The moon moves in an orbit around Earth. • Look at the diagram. Determine a rule that helps you understand the phases of the moon.

10. Order of Moon Phases • New moon to full moon the lit part gets larger; this is called WAXING • Full moon to new moon the lit part of the moon gets smaller; this is called WANING • The time from one full moon to the next is about one month; the moon takes about one month to complete its orbit

11. Discussion Question • During which phase of the moon would it be easier to see stars in the night sky? Explain your answer.