Earth's Moon

Question 1

What is a crater?

Answer 1

A depression in the planet or moon surface caused by a meteoroid impact.

Question 2

What is a Mare?

Answer 2

A dark, flat circular region of the Moon’s surface.

Question 3

What is a rille?

Answer 3

Long narrow crack in the lunar surface that resemble channels.

Question 4

What term describes the moon’s closest position to the Earth in its orbit?

Answer 4

Perigee

Question 5

What term describes the moon’s furthest position to the Earth in its orbit?

Answer 5

Apogee

Question 6

What is a solar eclipse?

Answer 6

Orientation of Sun-Moon-Earth where the Moon’s shadow reaches Earth’s surface.

Question 7

How does an annular eclipse occur?

Answer 7

An annular eclipse is a solar eclipse when the Moon is at apogee and its shadow does not quite reach Earth’s surface.

Question 8

What is a Lunar eclipse?

Answer 8

Orientation of Sun-Earth-Moon where the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow.

Question 9

What is high tide?

Answer 9

Water level reaches its highest point on the shoreline

Question 10

What is low tide?

Answer 10

Water level reaches its lowest point on the shoreline

Question 11

What is a flood tide?

Answer 11

Water level is moving up the shoreline from low to high tide.

Question 12

What is a ebb tide?

Answer 12

Water level is moving away from the shore from high tide to low tide.

Question 13

What is a neap tide?

Answer 13

Smallest tidal range produced when the Sun-Earth-Moon alignment is at a right angle.

Question 14

What is a spring tide?

Answer 14

largest tidal range produced when the Sun-Earth-Moon alignment is in a straight line.

Question 15

Why does an observer see phases of the Moon?

Answer 15

The Sun illuminates part of the surface of the Moon. As the Moon orbits the Earth, the amount of illuminated surface visible to an observer changes.

Question 16

How does the amount of illumination change when the Moon is in waxing phases?

Answer 16

The amount of visible light increases from the right side as the moon phases change from new moon to full moon

Question 17

How does the amount of illumination change when the Moon is in waning phases?

Answer 17

The amount of visible light decreases on the left side as the moon phases change from full moon to new moon.

Question 18

What is the alignment of the Sun, Moon and Earth that produces a full moon?

Answer 18

Sun-Earth-Moon in a straight line

Question 19

What is the alignment of the Sun, Moon and Earth that produces a new moon?

Answer 19

Sun-Moon-Earth in a straight line

Question 20

Which phase of the Moon occurs after a new moon?

Answer 20

A waxing crescent

Question 21

Which phase of the Moon occurs after a waxing crescent?

Answer 21

A first quarter moon

Question 22

Which phase of the Moon occurs after a first quarter moon?

Answer 22

A waxing gibbous moon

Question 23

Which phase of the Moon occurs after a full moon?

Answer 23

A waning gibbous moon

Question 24

Which phase of the Moon occurs after a waning gibbous moon?

Answer 24

A last quarter moon

Question 25

Which phase of the Moon occurs after a last quarter moon?

Answer 25

A waning crescent

Question 26

Why do solar and lunar eclipses not occur every month?

Answer 26

The orbital plane of the Moon is at a 5 degree angle to the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane around the Sun)

Question 27

Why do many areas experience two high tides each day?

Answer 27

The Moon’s gravitational force pulls on the ocean water on the side of the Earth nearest the Moon. The water on the opposite side also bulges because of its inertia.

Question 28

During which phase of the Moon does a solar eclipse occur?

Answer 28

A new moon

Question 29

During which phase of the Moon does a lunar eclipse occur?

Answer 29

A full moon

Question 30

During which phases of the Moon do spring tides occur?

Answer 30

New moon and Full moon

Question 31

During which phases of the Moon do neap tides occur?

Answer 31

First quarter and Last quarter moons