The moon and its phases

The moon and its phases

What is the moon?

• The moon is a ball of rock that we can see in the night sky

• Sometimes, we can see it during the day

The moon's changing face

• The shape of the moon seems to change as the days pass. We say that the moon shows different phases

• There is a pattern to theses phases

Full moon

• The full moon is when the moon is a complete circle

New moon

• When the face of the moon is completely dark, it is known as the new moon

  
  

The moon's changing face

• It takes about two weeks for the moon to go from a new moon to a full moon

• After another two weeks, it will go back to being a new moon

Reflecting the sunlight

• The moon is a cold object. It does not produce its own light. We only see the moon because it reflects sunlight

• Because the moon is shaped like a sphere, only half of the moon is lit by sunlight, the other half is in the dark

Explaining the moon's phases

• The moon is in orbit around Earth. It takes around one month to complete the orbit.

• This diagram shows the moon at different points of its orbit. The side of the moon facing the Sun is always bright. The phases of the moon change because wee see it from different angles at different times throughout its orbit

Explaining the moon's phases

• When the moon faces the same direction as the Sun, its dark side faces Earth. This is a new moon

• When the moon is in the opposite direction to the Sun, the side in sunlight faces earth so we see a full moon

• ^{Draw a diagram to show the positions of the Sun, the moon and the Earth when we see a half moon}

Multiple Choice

What can you find on the moon's surface?

• Water

• Dust and Rocks

• People

Multiple Choice

The moon seems to change shape from day to day in a cycle that lasts about a month as it goes through _.

• revolutions
• phases
• rotations
• eclipses

Multiple Choice

Where does the moon get its light?

• It makes its own light

• The Stars

• The Sun

Multiple Choice

During the phases of the Moon, the Moon appears to change shape. This change in appearance is due to the Moon...

• physically changing size and shape.

• moving closer and then farther away from Earth.

• reflecting a different amount of light due to alignment with Earth and the Sun.

• having craters on its surface.

Multiple Choice

About how long does it take the moon to make one complete cycle around the earth?

• 65 days
• 8 days
• 365 days
• 28 days

Multiple Choice

Select the correct moon phase

• Crescent Moon

• New Moon

• Full Moon

Multiple Choice

Select the correct moon phase

• Crescent Moon

• New Moon

• Half Moon

Multiple Choice

Select the correct moon phase

• New Moon

• Full Moon

• Half Moon

Multiple Choice

Select the correct moon phase

• Full Moon

• Half Moon

• Crescent Moon

Multiple Choice

What are the holes on the moon called?

• Craters

• Moon Rocks

• Foam

Multiple Choice

Which moon phase is when you can't see the moon at all?

• Waning crescent

• Full moon

• Waxing gibbous

• New moon

Multiple Choice

What causes the phases of the moon?

• the moon's orbit around Earth
• the moon's orbit around the sun
• Earth's orbit around the sun
• gravity

Multiple Choice

What causes the phase of the Moon to change each night?

• The Moon changes its acutal shape throughout the course of the month.

• The alignment between the Earth, Moon, and Sun determines the amount of light reflected by the Moon.

• The season of the year determines the phase of the Moon.

• The closer the Moon is to Earth, the more light the Moon reflects.