the moon Flashcards
how far away is it
The moon is 384 400 km away from earth
how long does it take to complete one rotation on its axis
The moon completes one rotation on its axis in about the same time as it takes to complete one revolution around the earth.
what side of the earth do we see and when
The same side of the earth faces the earth at all times.
tides
The moon’s gravitational force pulls earth and its oceans toward it. This causes a bulge of water to form on the side of earth facing the moon. As earth is pulled toward the moon, a bulge of water also forms on the opposite side of earth, where the moon’s gravitational force is weakest. This results in two high tides and two low tides on earth each day. The time between high and low tide is approximately 6 hours.
phases of the moon
The moon is illuminated by the sun.
Over a period of 4 weeks, the amount of the illuminated surface (a phase) of the moon follows a predictable pattern.
The 8 phases make up the lunar cycle.
The lunar cycle begins with the new moon.
Increase in size = WAXING Decrease in size = WANING
lunar eclipses
Lunar eclipses were believed by some to be caused by a mythological creature swallowing the moon.
Occur when the earth is positioned between the sun and moon, casting a shadow on the moon.
During a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon passes through earth’s shadow, which is called the umbra.
During partial lunar eclipse, only part of the moon passes through earth’s shadow, called a penumbra.
Lunar eclipses can last up to an hour.
