1. Phases of the Moon Pages 524-527

2. EQ: How are the Earth, moon, and the sun aligned during each phase of the moon? http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/phonedrmarc/2004_march.shtml

3. Phases of the Moon The average time for the moon’s cycle from New Moon to New Moon is about 29.5 days

4. What are phases of the moon? The different shapes of the moon that we see from Earth are called phases.

5. Why do phases of the moon occur? Phases of the moon are caused by the changes in the position of the Earth, moon, and sun The moon does not have its own light The phase of the moon that you see depends on how much of the sunlit side of the moon faces Earth

6. New Moon… The sun lights the side of the moon facing away from Earth. The moon is not visible (except during a solar eclipse).

7. Waxing Crescent... The moon appears to be partly but less than one-half lit by direct sunlight. The fraction of the moon you see lit is increasing.

8. First Quarter... One-half of the moon appears to be lit by direct sunlight. The fraction of the moon you see lit is increasing.

9. Waxing Gibbous... The moon appears to be more than one- half but not fully lit by direct sunlight. The fraction of the moon you see lit is increasing.

10. Full Moon... The moon lit side is facing the Earth. The moon appears to be completely lit by direct sunlight.

11. Waning Gibbous... The moon appears to be more than one- half but not fully lit by direct sunlight. The fraction of the moon you see lit is decreasing.

12. Third Quarter... One-half of the moon appears to be lit by direct sunlight. The fraction of the moon you see lit is decreasing.

13. Waning Crescent... The moon appears to be partly but less than one-half lit by direct sunlight. The fraction of the moon you see lit is decreasing.

14. New Moon... Phase Cycle starts over...

15. Fact 1 When we see the moon, we are looking at the part of the moon that is reflecting light from the sun.

16. Fact 2 It takes the moon an average of 29.5 days to orbit the Earth.

17. Fact 3 If the moon is SMALLER than a QUARTER, we call it CRESCENT.CRESCENT

18. Fact 4 If the moon is BIGGER than a QUARTER, we call it GIBBOUS.GIBBOUS

19. Fact 5 When the moon is GETTING BIGGER, it is WAXING. [ The part of the moon that we see will appear to be theWAXING RIGHT side of the moon.]

20. Fact 6 When the moon is GETTING SMALLER, it is WANING. [The part of the moon that we see will appear to be the LEFT side of the moon.]WANING

21. Fact 7 If the CRESCENT of the moon LOOKS LIKE THE LETTER C, the LOOKS LIKE THE LETTER C moon is SHRINKING (WANING).

22. Fact 8 If the CRESCENT of the moon CURVES LIKE THE LETTER D, the moon is getting bigger (Waxing).CURVES LIKE THE LETTER D

23. Fact 9 The New Moon can hardly be seen.New Moon

24. Fact 10 The Full Moon is as bigFull Moon as the moon can get.