Earth, Moon, and Sun

Three students made the diagrams above to show what they think the Moon looks like when it is seen from above (top view). In these diagrams, the sunlight is coming from the left, as shown by the arrows. Which diagram is accurate and why?

• Diagram A is accurate because the whole Moon is bright as long as there are no shadows covering parts of it.

• Diagram B is accurate because the Moon is almost as close as it can be to the sun, so the Moon is almost fully lit by the sun.

• Diagram C is accurate because the half of the Moon that is facing the sun is lit by the sun, and the other half is dark.

• All three diagrams are sometimes accurate because the Moon has some lighter-colored rock and some darker-colored rock, and the half of the Moon with the lighter-colored rock rotates to face different directions.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

A student astronomer went out and took photographs of the Moon that were several days apart. Images that look like her photographs are shown above. The light part of the Moon appeared to get smaller over time. Why did this happen?

• Between the first photograph and the second photograph, the Moon moved farther away from the sun so less sunlight reached the Moon’s surface.

• Between the first photograph and the second photograph, Earth moved so its shadow was blocking more of the Moon so the student astronomer was able to see less of it.

• Between the first photograph and the second photograph, the Moon rotated so that less of the light-colored rock on the Moon’s surface faced Earth.

• Between the first photograph and the second photograph, the Moon moved so that the student astronomer was able to see less of the half that faces the sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The diagrams above show Earth and the Moon in different positions, as seen from above (top view). Sunlight is coming from the left, but these diagrams do not show what parts of Earth or the Moon are light or dark. Could the half of the Moon that faces Earth ever be completely dark in any of these diagrams?

• No, the Moon is always lit by the sun.

• Yes, always in Diagrams 1 and 2, but never in Diagram 3.

• Yes, always in Diagram 2, but never in Diagrams 1 or 3.

• Yes, always in Diagram 2 and sometimes in Diagram 1.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Three student astronomers made the diagrams above to show what they think the Moon looks like when it is seen from above. In these diagrams, the sunlight is coming from the left, as shown by the arrows. Which diagram is accurate and why?

• Diagram A is accurate because the Moon is almost as far as it can be from the sun, so almost none of the Moon is lit by the sun.

• Diagram B is accurate because the half of the Moon that is facing the sun is lit by the sun, and the other half is dark.

• Diagram C is accurate because the whole Moon is bright as long as there are no shadows covering parts of it.

• All three diagrams are sometimes accurate because the Moon has some lighter-colored rock and some darker-colored rock, and the half of the Moon with the lighter-colored rock rotates to face different directions.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Astronomers made two observations of the Moon that were several days apart. Their observations are shown in the diagram above. The light part of the Moon appeared to get larger over time. Why did this happen?

• Between the first observation and the second observation, the Moon rotated so that more of the light-colored rock on the Moon’s surface faced Earth.

• Between the first observation and the second observation, the Moon moved so that the astronomers were able to see more of the half that faces the sun.

• Between the first observation and the second observation, the Moon moved closer to the sun so more sunlight reached the Moon’s surface.

• Between the first observation and the second observation, Earth moved so its shadow was blocking less of the Moon so the astronomers were able to see more of it.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The diagrams above show Earth and the Moon in different positions, as seen from above (top view). Sunlight is coming from the left, but these diagrams do not show what parts of Earth or the Moon are light or dark. Could the half of the Moon that faces Earth ever be completely dark in any of these diagrams?

• No, the Moon is always lit by the sun.

• Yes, always in Diagrams 1 and 3, but never in Diagram 2.

• Yes, always in Diagram 3 and sometimes in Diagram 1.

• Yes, always in Diagram 3, but never in Diagrams 1 or 2.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Suki looked up one night and saw a crescent moon. If Suki looks for the Moon again in one month, what will he see?

• Suki will see a crescent moon again, like Diagram A.

• Suki will see a quarter moon, like Diagram B.

• Suki could see either a crescent or a quarter moon; it depends on the time of year.

• There’s no way to tell because the Moon’s pattern is always changing.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The diagram above shows Earth and the Moon from above (top view). Why is there a dotted circle drawn in this diagram?

• To show that the Moon is always moving around Earth in a circle.

• To show the locations of satellites that are in Earth’s atmosphere.

• To show the way that the Moon can move back and forth across Earth’s sky.

• To show the locations where the sun’s light can reach the Moon.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Three students made the diagrams above to show what they think the Moon looks like when it is seen from above (top view). In these diagrams, the sunlight is coming from the left, as shown by the arrows. Which diagram is accurate and why?

• Diagram A is accurate because sometimes the whole Moon is dark if shadows are covering it.

• Diagram B is accurate because the Moon is as close as it can be to the sun, and so all of the Moon is lit by the sun.

• Diagram C is accurate because the half of the Moon that is facing the sun is lit by the sun, and the other half is dark.

• All three diagrams are sometimes accurate because the Moon has some lighter-colored rock and some darker-colored rock, and the half of the Moon with the lighter-colored rock rotates to face different directions.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

An artist took two photographs of the Moon that were several days apart. Images that look like his photographs are shown above. The light part of the Moon appeared to get smaller over time. Why did this happen?

• Between the first photograph and the second photograph, the Moon rotated so that less of the light-colored rock on the Moon’s surface faced Earth.

• Between the first photograph and the second photograph, Earth moved so its shadow was blocking more of the Moon so the artist was able to see less of it.

• Between the first photograph and the second photograph, the Moon moved so that the artist could see less of the half that faces the sun.

• Between the first photograph and the second photograph, the Moon moved farther away from the sun so less sunlight reached the Moon’s surface.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1