Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 1
Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? Florida Benchmark SC.4.E.5.2 Describe the changes in the observable shape of the moon over the course of about a month. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 2
Our Moon The moon is Earth’s satellite. Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? Our Moon The moon is Earth’s satellite. A satellite is an object that moves around another larger object in space. The surface of the moon has mountains and plains. There are craters on the surface due to debris from space striking it. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 3
Our Moon The moon is the largest, brightest object in the night sky. Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? Our Moon The moon is the largest, brightest object in the night sky. We see the moon because light from the sun reflects from it and back to Earth. The pull of Earth’s gravity keeps the moon in orbit around Earth. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 4
Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? Our Moon The moon is about one-fourth the size of Earth. It has no air, wind, or liquid water. Only one side of the moon is seen from Earth. This is because the moon takes the same amount of time to rotate once as it does to orbit Earth once. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 5
Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? The changes in the appearance of the moon’s shape are known as phases. The motions of the Earth and moon are responsible for the phases. It takes about a month for the moon to complete all of its phases. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 6
Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? Different amounts of the moon’s lit side are seen from Earth as the moon goes through phases. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 7
Lunar and Solar Calendars Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? Lunar and Solar Calendars People use the phases of the moon and Earth’s orbit around the sun to make calendars and to track time. Our modern calendar is based on Earth’s orbit around the sun and the moon’s phases. Calendars based on Earth’s orbit are called solar calendars. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 8
The Chinese Zodiac Calendar Unit 2 Lesson 3 What Are Moon Phases? The Chinese Zodiac Calendar The Chinese zodiac calendar is based in part on the phases of the moon. Cycles of time on the Chinese calendar are named after different animals. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 9