10 / 08 Thursday Kaupapa: Explain how the Moon has phases

Do you remember? Why does the Earth appear mainly blue and white when viewed from space? What causes day and night? What causes seasons? Which side of the Sun are we now? <Picture on the board>

Front

Back

Diameter = 360 km !! 65 times the size of CHCH

The Phases of the Moon

How hot/cold is the Moon? 100 oC ~ -173 oC

How long is a “day” on the Moon? It takes 27.3 earth days to rotate, but a day is 29.5 earth days long.

Why does the moon have “phases”?

When is the next Full Moon? http://www.moongiant.com/calendar/

Lunar Month A lunar month is the time the moon takes to go through a complete cycle of its phases. A lunar month is about 29.5 days – this is longer than 27.3 days because the Earth also travels around the Sun and the moon spends the extra 2.2 days “catching up”.

Homework: Questions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 on page 114 of the textbook – don’t forget to mark your answers!

Lunar Effect?

What have we learnt today? How long is a lunar month? Name the eight different phases of the Moon