Moon phase exit ticket

1. Night Owl Observation:

2. You look up at the sky and see a thin crescent moon.

3. Is this the beginning or the end of the moon's cycle?

• • A. Beginning (It's getting bigger!)

• • B. End (It's getting smaller)

Answer explanation

A crescent moon is the beginning of the moon's cycle, called a waxing crescent. It appears to grow larger each night.

1. Shine Bright Like a Diamond:

2. During which moon phase is the entire visible side of the moon lit up?

• • A. New Moon (Can't see it at all!)

• • B. Full Moon (Big and bright!)

Answer explanation

During a full moon, the entire side facing Earth is lit up by the sun, making it appear big and round.

1. Tricky vs. :

2. The first quarter moon and last quarter moon look almost identical.

3. What's the giveaway that tells them apart?

• • A. The pointy side faces left in the first quarter and right in the last.

• • B. The bright side is bigger in the first quarter and smaller in the last.

Answer explanation

The direction of the pointy side, which is the part of the moon illuminated by the sun, tells the difference. In the first quarter, it faces left, and in the last quarter, it faces right.

1. Lunar Lights Out:

2. Sometimes the moon completely disappears from sight.

3. What's this phase called?

• • A. Half Moon (Only half the moon is visible)

• • B. New Moon (No moon to be seen!)

Answer explanation

A new moon happens when the moon is between the Earth and the sun. Since the side facing us isn't lit up, we can't see it at all.

Shadow Play:

What kind of eclipse happens

when the Earth casts a shadow on the moon,

making it appear reddish?

• • A. Solar Eclipse (The moon blocks the sun)

• • B. Lunar Eclipse (Earth's shadow falls on the moon)

Answer explanation

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth casts a shadow on the moon, sometimes making it appear reddish due to sunlight filtering through our atmosphere.

Cosmic Hide-and-Seek:

During a solar eclipse, what object seems to disappear behind another?

• • A. The Earth (We're in the shadow!)

• • B. The Sun (The moon blocks its light)

Answer explanation

During a solar eclipse, the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking the sun's light from reaching us entirely or partially.