1. The Earth and
The Moon

2. THE EARTH
The Earth moves around the sun in a path like a circle that has been pulled a little at both ends. This shape is called an ellipse.

3. The path Earth takes around the sun is called its orbit
The path Earth takes around the sun is called its orbit. As Earth orbits the sun, it rotates, or spins on its axis.
The axis is an imaginary line that passes through Earth’s center and its North and South Poles.

4. The Earth’s rotation is what causes day and night
The Earth’s rotation is what causes day and night. When a place on Earth faces the sun, it is day in that place. When that place faces away from the sun, it is night.

5. THE MOON
The Moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite. It revolves around the Earth and on its own axis. The same side of the moon always faces Earth.

6. When we see the moon at night, it’s because sunlight is reflected off its surface, the moon does not generate light.
As the moon orbits Earth, its position in the sky changes. This produces the different shapes, or phases, of the moon we see each month.

7. Solar and Lunar Eclipses
An eclipse occurs when one object passes through the shadow of another.
There are seven eclipses- two lunar and five solar- in a single year.

8. A solar eclipse occurs when Earth passes through a new moon’s shadow.

9. A lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes through Earth’s shadow.

10. The Moon’s Surface
Lunar landforms include craters, maria, ray craters, rifles, highlands, and volcanic domes.
The word maria is Latin for “seas”; they are really areas of hardened lava.
Ray craters are thought to be new craters.

11. REVIEW What is the name of the path that Earth takes around the sun?
( Please use the mouse for the review section…)
What is the name of the path that Earth takes around the sun?
orbit A B
ellipse C
cycle D
None of the above

12. Sorry, that is not correct… TRY AGAIN!

13. That is CORRECT!

14. REVIEW 2. What causes day and night on Earth? the moon eclipsesB
eclipses
the Earth’s rotation C
none of the above D

15. That is CORRECT!

16. REVIEW
3. What kind of eclipse occurs when the full moon passes through Earth’s shadow?
total A B
lunar C
solar D
all of the above

17. That is CORRECT!

18. REVIEW
4. What are areas of hardened lava on the surface of the moon called?
craters A B
ray craters C
rifles D
none of the above

19. That is CORRECT!

20. Works Cited…
solarsystem/sun/solareclipse.shtml
Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia © Microsoft Corporation.