1. What Causes Moon Phases

2. The Search for New Moons. Pages 80-83

3. What does “advance in detector efficiency” mean? Better technology can find more stuff out there. What planets have only one moon? Earth and Pluto Why are giant planets not good for life? Not solid, gas planet Are the moons of giant planets possibly spots for life? Yes Does Titan have an atmosphere? Yes

4. What planet has a moon with possible water? What is the name of the moon? Jupiter Europa Why does this moon not have life on it? Too cold Radiation What moon is volcanic? Io How are moons useful to the rings around planets? Helps keep the rings in place

5. Why do the gas giants have so many moons? Gravity Where are a bunch of mini planets found? Kuiper Belt Which plants have no moons? Mercury and Venus Is the moon count on page 83 accurate? Nope Why? It’s out of date

6. What direction does the Moon rise and set every day? Does it rise and set at the same time daily? Describe. East to west No. It rises about 51 minutes later every day.

7. The small spheres on the straws will become the Moon. The light source will be the Sun. Your head is Earth, with one of your eyes being your location on Earth. (Phoenix) In your group, try to go through all the Moon phases. Don’t forget to share. Give everyone a chance. Share your observations with the class.

8. As we go through these questions, make your own observations and move your “Moon” as needed. Which way did you turn in order to simulate the revolution of the Moon around Earth? Where did you position the Moon to observe new Moon? Full Moon? How can we simulate the rising and setting of the Moon? Hold the Moon in one position and move your head all the way to one side (counterclockwise) showing the rotation of the Earth, which is responsible for moonrise and moonset.

9. So far, our heads have been Earth, and one eye has been you. Your point of view has been that of an observer in the action. Now, you will work with your group to explore the phases of the Moon from outside the action. Use your small Earth globe instead of your head. Work with your group to model this. Everything rotates or revolves counterclockwise. The visible portion of the half illuminated Moon accounts for the Moon phases.

10. Show the Earth, Moon and Sun during the four phases of the Moon? New Moon, first quarter, full Moon and third quarter? This is more difficult: Show the rotation of Earth and the revolution of the Moon to show what time of day of night the Moon rises in each of it’s phases. Figure out how far the Moon travels around the Earth in one day? Now we will use a light source as the sun, the globe as the Moon and our head/bodies as the Earth. What phases do you see?