Earth, Moon, and Sun

The moon is illuminated by...

• the sun.

• light reflected off Earth.

• its own light.

• the billions of stars in our galaxy.

Answer explanation

The moon can't make its own light and is illuminated by the sun.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Which of the following is true about the moon? Choose ALL correct answers.

• Half of the moon is always lit by the sun, except during an eclipse.

• The moon orbits the Earth once every month.

• The moon rotates on it's axis like Earth.

• The moon orbits the Sun.

Answer explanation

The moon does not rotate like Earth does - we always see the same side. The moon orbits the Earth, not the sun.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The appearance of the moon changes from Earth because....

• the Earth's shadow falls on different parts of the moon.

• the amount of the moon that is illuminated changes over time.

• the moon's movement causes us to see different amounts of the illuminated half.

• light has to bend around the Earth' to reach the moon.

Answer explanation

half of the moon is always illuminated, but it's orbit around the Earth changes the amount of the half we can see.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The moon will be most illuminated from Earth...

• when it is between the Earth and the sun.

• when it is further from the sun.

• when it is closer to the sun.

• when is passes into the Earth's shadow.

Answer explanation

In the moon's orbit, it is actually more illuminated when it is further from the sun.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Omar sees a full moon tonight. How long will it be until he sees another full moon?

• about a month.

• about 2 weeks.

• about a year.

• could be weeks or months because the moon's pattern is unpredictable.

Answer explanation

The moon takes about a month to orbit the Earth, so we see the pattern of phases repeat that often.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

When Earth Earth, Moon, and Sun are in this position from the top view, how will the moon appear from Earth?

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Answer explanation

From Earth, the left side of the moon would be illuminated. This is called the third quarter.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

When the Earth, Moon and Sun are in this position, how will the moon appear from Earth?

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Answer explanation

From the Earth, the left side would be dark and the whole right side would be illuminated. This is called "waxing gibbous".

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

When the Earth, Moon, and Sun are in this position, what will the moon look like from Earth?

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Answer explanation

The illuminated half of the sun would be facing away from Earth, so the moon is always dark when it is between the sun and the Earth.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees compared to Earth's orbit. This mostly responsible for...

• determining the moon's phases.

• causing the seasons.

• determining night and day.

• preventing a lunar eclipse from happening every month.

Answer explanation

The tilt means the moon is usually slightly above or below the Earth, which prevents the Earth from blocking the sun's light and causing an eclipse.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Which shows the position of the moon during a lunar eclipse?

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Answer explanation

During a lunar eclipse the Earth is always between the sun and the moon.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1