The Lunar Cycle + Eclipses

Question 1

Oder of Lunar Cycle

Answer 1

New Moon
Waxing Crescent
1st Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full Moon
Waning Gibbous
3rd Quarter
Waning Crescent
Repeat Cycle

Question 2

Can there ever be 2 new moons in a lunar cycle?

Answer 2

No, cycle restarts with new moon

Question 3

Number days in lunar cycle when waning crescent is visible

Answer 3

4.9 or 5 out of 29.5 days

Question 4

Why do the hemispheres see phases from opposite directions?

Answer 4

Opposite from one another

Question 5

Why do we see a blue moon every 2.7 years?

Answer 5

Lunar cycle isn’t a month, so days accumulate to a blue moon (second full moon) every 2.7 years

Question 6

How does the moon get its light?

Answer 6

• moon does not emit light
• reflects sunlight
• half moon always in light

Question 7

Moon’s Rotation + Revolution

Answer 7

• 1 rotation = 1 revolution around Earth
• both takes 27.3 earth days
• always see same side of moon

Question 8

Phases

Answer 8

• 4 main phases of moon

Question 9

Waxing

Answer 9

More light visible on the moon each night (light = right)

Question 10

Waning

Answer 10

Less light visible on moon each night (light = left)

Question 11

How many days does it take th lunar cycle?

Answer 11

29.5 days

Question 12

Crescent

Answer 12

Less than half of visible part of moon lit up

Question 13

Gibbous

Answer 13

More than half of visible part of moon lit up

Question 14

Why/how do we see moon phases?

Answer 14

• Moon’s orbit around Earth –> we see different angle of Moon
• Moon has half facing Sun –> position on Earth causes us see different amounts of Sun’s light reflecting off Moon
• Moon revolves around Earth + Earth revolves around Sun

Question 15

Would the phases of the Moon be affected if it didn’t make one rotation for each revolution of Earth?

Answer 15

No, because roation doesn’t matter for phases, only revolution
- Rotation affects which side of the moon we see on earth

Question 16

Umbra

Answer 16

• Central, darker part of shadow totally blocks light + causes total eclipses

Question 17

Penumbra

Answer 17

• lighter part of shadow where light partially blocked + causes partial eclipses

Question 18

Solar Eclipse

Answer 18

• moon’s shadow blocks sunlight from reaching earth
• moon is small so shadow doesn’t cover much of earth

Question 19

Lunar Eclipse

Answer 19

• Earth’s shadow blocks sunlight from reaching moon
• Earth’s shadow cover whole moon

Question 20

Total Solar Eclipse

Answer 20

• Only in umbra
• Covers all sunlight so dark on Earth
• Specific areas (path of totality

Question 21

Partial Solar Eclipse

Answer 21

• In penumbra
• Moon never completely covers sun
• Stages similar to total

Question 22

Total Lunar Eclipse

Answer 22

• Creates blood moon when in umbra
• Darker in umbra
• Lighter in penumbra

Question 23

Partial Lunar Eclipse

Answer 23

• Similar to total but moon never completely covered by Earth

Question 24

Why are eclipse rare?

Answer 24

• Moon’s orbit tilted
• Sometimes moon above/below Earth’s orbit/shadow
• Sun/moon/earth needs to be aligned perfectly