The Cincinnati Observatory Presents…

MOON Phases, Eclipses, and Missions

Can you put these in their proper order? 2 1 3 4 5 6

4 5 2 3 6 1

WAXING = getting bigger

Full Waning Gibbous Waxing Gibbous Third Quarter First Quarter Waning Crescent Waxing Crescent New

How long does it take the Moon to revolve around the Earth? There are two ways of measuring a month depending on your point of reference Sidereal Month – 27.3 days Synodic Month – 29.5 days

Sidereal Month – 27.3 days Synodic Month – 29.5 days The sidereal month is the time it takes for the Moon to complete one revolution around the Earth and return to the same position among the stars. Synodic Month – 29.5 days The synodic month is the time it takes for the Moon to complete one moon phase cycle.

To Sun At this position, the Moon is full

From the Earth the Moon appears amidst the distant background stars To Sun From the Earth the Moon appears amidst the distant background stars For example, let’s say that the Moon is near the bright star Regulus To Regulus

After 27.3 days, the Earth has moved a significant distance To Sun After 27.3 days, the Earth has moved a significant distance in its orbit around the Sun To Regulus

Moon has orbited the Earth and returned to its place In that time period, the Moon has orbited the Earth and returned to its place in front of Regulus That 27.3 days is a SIDEREAL Month To Regulus

Last time that the Moon was near Regulus it was a full Moon To Sun But this time, the Moon is not quite full To Regulus

…And then go a little further to catch up with the Earth To return to a full Moon, the Moon must orbit the Earth once… To Sun …And then go a little further to catch up with the Earth To Regulus

That extra distance the Moon has to travel takes about two days To Sun That 29.5 days is a SYNODIC Month To Regulus

Synodic Month – 29.5 days The synodic month is the time it takes for the Moon to complete one moon phase cycle.

Let’s make a scale model of the Earth and the Moon If this is total mass of the Earth and Moon, how many of the 50 spheres would go into making the Earth? And how many would go into making the Moon?

49 of them make up the Earth 1 of them makes up the Moon

Solar Eclipses only occur when the Moon is NEW

A Partial Solar Eclipse at Sunset

visible from Cincinnati was on April 8, 2005 The last Solar Eclipse visible from Cincinnati was on April 8, 2005 Only a tiny part of the Sun was covered by the Moon

Also April 8, 2005

A Total Eclipse

The Sun’s diameter is 400 times that of the Moon How can the Moon block it out? Moon

The Sun’s diameter is 400 times that of the Moon The Sun is also 400 times farther away than the Moon Moon

So the Sun and Moon appear to be the exact same size in the sky And when they line up perfectly…

And when they line up perfectly…

The shadow of the Moon over Antarctica

The 2nd Diamond Ring (That means it’s over)

But be patient, we will have three Total Solar Eclipses in America in a very short period of time. August 21, 2017 April 8, 2024 August 12, 2045

An Annular Eclipse

The last Total Lunar Eclipses visible from Cincinnati: May 15, 2003 November 8, 2003 October 27, 2004 March 3, 2007 August 28, 2007 February 20, 2008

Lunar Eclipses only occur when the Moon is FULL

Notice the rounded shadow of the EARTH

The Next Total Lunar Eclipse: December 21, 2010

The Ultimate Eclipse Websites!!! Fred Espenak’s Eclipse Home Page http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html Mr. Eclipse www.mreclipse.com http://www.msnbc.com/news/356781.asp?cp1=1 Scroll down to section called Interactive Click on Inconstant Moon

The Apollo Missions to the Moon

Crash Landing on the Moon 50 feet of nylon rope Box of matches Two 100 pound oxygen tanks Dehydrated milk Self inflating life raft Two pistols Star map Radio transmitter/receiver Magnetic compass Chemical signal flares Parachute Five gallons of water Dehydrated food First aid kit Solar powered heater

Crash Landing on the Moon 8 50 feet of nylon rope 15 Box of matches 1 Two 100 pound oxygen tanks 12 Dehydrated milk 10 Self inflating life raft 11 Two pistols 4 Star map 3 Radio transmitter/receiver 14 Magnetic compass 6 Chemical signal flares 7 Parachute 2 Five gallons of water 5 Dehydrated food First aid kit 13 Solar powered heater

Neil Was Here

Buzz Was Here Too!

The Gravity on the Moon

Just Going Out For A Stroll

The Right Way to Walk on the Moon

The Right Way to Walk on the Moon

The Right Way to Walk on the Moon

The Wrong Way to Walk on the Moon

The Wrong Way to Walk on the Moon

The Wrong Way to Walk on the Moon

Nice Ride! The New 1971 Lunar Rover

Let’s Take It Out For A Test Drive

Apollo 17 Leaving the Moon for the Last Time

“The Eagle Has Landed”

First Step on the Moon

Galileo’s Theory Finally Tested

A “Demonstration”

The Cincinnati Observatory Dean Regas