Moon Notes

THE MOON

Earth’s natural satellite

What is a Moon?

• A terrestrial body (large

rock) that orbits a
planet

• The Earth has 1 moon

Moon Facts

• The moon is 240,000

miles from Planet Earth.

• The moon rotates

counterclockwise.

• The moon has many

craters

• Has a very thin

atmosphere & does not
support life

• The moon gets its light

from the reflection of
the sun.

THE MOON IS EARTH’S NATURAL

SATELLITE

⦿ Earth’s pull of gravity keeps the moon as our

natural satellite

⦿ Takes 3 days to get there with a space craft

⦿ Only one side of the moon is seen from earth

◼ This is because the moon turns once on its axis

each time it orbits the Earth

• Near side- side we can see

• Far side-side we can’t see

⦿ The moon rotates counterclockwise

The Sun, Earth, & Moon

MOON PHASES

⦿ It takes one month for the moon to orbit

around the Earth

⦿ As the moon orbits around the earth, sunlight

reflects off of the moon making it visible in
the night sky.

⦿ From earth, we can only see certain portions

of the lit moon

MOON PHASES Cont.

⦿ Full lunar phase takes one month (4 weeks)

◼ Weeks 1-2 are waxing(growing) phases

◼ Weeks 3-4 are waning (shrinking)phases

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The sun is always
shining on the
moon.

From earth we can
only see certain
parts of the moon
that are lit by the
sun.

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The moon is lit by the sun. However, the lit side of the moon cannot
be seen from Earth. The moon appears black during the NEW MOON
PHASE.

NEW MOON

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The moon is lit by the sun. We can only see a small portion of the lit
moon from Earth. It is called a WAXING CRESCENT.

WAXING
CRESCENT

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The moon is lit by the sun. We can see half of the lit moon from Earth.
It is called a WAXING HALF MOON or a FIRST QUARTER MOON.

WAXING
HALF MOON
(1ST QUARTER)

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The moon is lit by the sun. We can see a lot of the lit moon from Earth.
It is called a WAXING GIBBOUS.

WAXING
GIBBOUS

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The moon is lit by the sun. We can see the entire lit moon from Earth.
This is the FULL MOON phase.

FULL MOON

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The moon is lit by the sun. We can see a lot of the lit moon from Earth.
This phase is called the WANING GIBBOUS.

WANING
GIBBOUS

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The moon is lit by the sun. We can only see a small portion of the lit
moon from Earth. This is called the WANING CRESCENT.

WANING
CRESCENT

Diagram of the Moon Phases

The moon is lit by the sun. We can see half of the lit moon from Earth.
This is known as the WANING HALF MOON or LAST QUARTER.

WANING HALF MOON
(LAST QUARTER)

Multiple Choice

What does the diagram help us understand about the moon?

• Its distance from the Earth

• Its phases

• Its temperature

• Its size

Multiple Choice

Why can't the lit side of the moon be seen during the New Moon phase?

• It is facing away from Earth

• It is covered by clouds

• It is too far away

• It is behind the sun

Multiple Choice

What does the phrase "From earth we can only see certain parts of the moon" imply?

• The moon is invisible

• The moon is always fully visible

• Only the sunlit parts are visible

• The moon is always dark

Multiple Choice

What is the term used for the moon phase when it is increasing in visibility?

• Waning

• Waxing

• Full

• New

Multiple Choice

What is the shape of the moon during a waxing crescent phase?

• Full circle

• Half circle

• Thin crescent

• No visible shape

Multiple Choice

During which moon phase can we see the entire lit side of the moon?

• Waxing Crescent

• New Moon

• Full Moon

• Waning Crescent

Multiple Choice

What phase is the moon in when it is not visible from Earth?

• Full Moon

• New Moon

• Waxing Crescent

• Waning Gibbous

Multiple Choice

What does the term "waxing" refer to in moon phases?

• The moon getting smaller

• The moon staying the same

• The moon getting larger

• The moon disappearing

Multiple Choice

What is the main source of light for the moon?

• The Earth

• The Sun

• Stars

• Other planets

Multiple Choice

What is the phase before the Waxing Half Moon?

• New Moon

• Waxing Crescent

• Full Moon

• Waning Crescent

Multiple Choice

What is the term used to describe the moon when it is increasing in illumination?

• Waning

• Waxing

• Eclipsing

• Dimming

Multiple Choice

Which phase of the moon is visible when it is between the Earth and the sun?

• New Moon

• Full Moon

• Waxing Gibbous

• Waning Crescent

Multiple Choice

Which phase of the moon is visible after the Full Moon?

• Waxing Crescent

• Waning Gibbous

• New Moon

• First Quarter

Multiple Choice

What is another name for the Waning Half Moon?

• First Quarter

• New Moon

• Last Quarter

• Full Moon

Multiple Choice

Which phase of the moon is visible after the Third Quarter?

• New Moon

• Waxing Crescent

• Waning Crescent

• Full Moon

Draw this diagram in the summary
section of your notes

Be sure to include the following
1.

Where the sun/light source is

2.

Include the diagram of how
the sun is shining on the moon

3.

Include the diagram of how the
moon looks in the sky

4.

Label each moon phase