The Moon

The Moon

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What is the Moon?

The moon is the only natural satellite of Earth. The moon is the second brightest object next to the Sun, half of the moon is always lit. The moon does not produce its own light but the light is reflected from the Sun. We do not always see the half lit of the moon.

What are the phases of the moon?

The phases of the moon are just different times when we can we different parts of the moon. The whole moon is still there, but the positions of the Sun, Earth and moon change making us see a different view of the moon every time we look at it.

What are the phases of the moon ? The phases of the moon are called (in order):

New Moon

Waxing Crescent Moon

Waxing Gibbous Moon

Quarter Moon

Full Moon

Waning Gibbous Moon

Last Quarter Moon

Waning Crescent Moon

New Moon: It is when we can not see the moon because all the sunlight is shining on the other side of the moon

Waxing Crescent Moon: It is when we see a crescent of the moon on the right side of the moon

Quarter Moon: It is when we see a quarter of the moon on the right side of the moon

Waxing Gibbous Moon: It is when we a see all of the moon but, a crescent of the moon on the left is black

Full Moon: It is when we can see all of the moon

Waning Gibbous Moon: It is when we can see all of the moon but a crescent of the moon on the right is left black

Last Quarter Moon: It is when we can see the left quarter of the moon

Waning Crescent Moon: It is when we can see a crescent on the left side of the moon

Fast Moon Facts:

Average Distance from the Earth to the Moon:

385,000 Km

Revolution and Rotational Period of the Moon:

27.3 Days

Equatorial Diameter of the Moon:

3474 km

Gravitational Pull:

16.2% of Earth's Gravity

Moon Definitions:

Crater- a hollow pit in the moon made by the impact of a meteoroid

Gravity- the force that pulls objects together

Orbit- a path that a celestial body follows

Sources:

http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonphase/

http://kosmoi.com/Science/Earth/Moon/

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/kids_space/moon_awaits.html&edu=elem

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/moon/

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html

Images From:

http://www.netaxs.com/~mhmyers/cdjpgs/fullplus5h.jpg

http://www.mentaljokes.com/images/Moon_phases_small.jpg

http://www.cartoonsoft.com/gallery/albums/album02/pali_moon.sized.jpg

http://www.nwgis.com/greg/images/gibbous.jpg

http://reductionism.net.seanic.net/brucelgary/AstroPhotos/MoonPhases/B_000930_195251&195318.jpg

http://www.kellyleephipps.com/tao_of_astrology/moon%20phases/New%20Moon%20Phase.jpg

http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/full-moon-tmax100b.jpg

http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Waninggibbous.jpg

http://www.netaxs.com/~mhmyers/cdjpgs/last4.jpg

http://www.mvas.org/discus/messages/12/270.jpg

http://www.pa.msu.edu/people/frenchj/moon/moon-15day-2884.jpg

http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/oconnell/astr130/im/moon-phases-lrg-cidadao-sm.jpg

For current moon phases go to this website:

http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/moon_phases.phtml