Welcome to our fun learning adventure about the Moon! Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered about the Moon and why it changes shape? Let’s explore the amazing Moon together!
The Moon is one of the brightest things we see in the night sky. It travels around the Earth, just like how the Earth travels around the Sun. It takes about 27 days for the Moon to go all the way around the Earth. The Moon is made mostly of rock and has lots of holes called craters. These craters were made when rocks from space, called meteorites, crashed into it.
During the day, when the Sun shines on the Moon, it gets really hot, about 225°F (107°C). But at night, it gets super cold, dropping to -243°F (-153°C)! The Moon doesn’t make its own light. Instead, it reflects the Sun’s light. Depending on where it is in the sky, we see different parts of it lit up, which is why it looks like it changes shape. These different shapes are called the phases of the Moon.
The lunar cycle starts with the new moon. During this phase, the Moon looks completely dark because the side that is not lit by the Sun is facing us. This is also when solar eclipses can happen because the Moon is between the Sun and Earth.
Next is the waxing crescent. Here, the Moon shows a tiny slice of light, shaped like a crescent. “Waxing” means growing, so the Moon looks like it’s getting bigger.
Then comes the first quarter. Now, about half of the Moon is lit up. Some people call it a half moon, but it’s actually called the first quarter because the Moon is one-quarter of the way through its cycle.
After that, we have the waxing gibbous. “Gibbous” means swollen, so the Moon looks like it’s getting even bigger and more round.
Next is the full moon. The Moon is big, bright, and fully lit up. It’s halfway through its journey around the Earth. This is when lunar eclipses can happen because the Earth’s shadow can fall on the Moon.
After the full moon, the Moon starts to look smaller. This phase is called the waning gibbous. “Waning” means shrinking, so the Moon appears to get smaller each day.
Then we have the third quarter. The Moon is now three-quarters of the way through its orbit. Half of it is lit up, and it keeps getting smaller.
Finally, we reach the waning crescent. The Moon looks like a tiny sliver of light. Soon, it will become a new moon again, and the cycle will start over.
The Moon is not just beautiful; it also affects Earth. Its gravity helps create ocean tides, causing the water to rise and fall. The Moon is a wonderful part of our sky, and now you know all about its phases!
Can you remember all the phases? New moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the Moon today. Thanks for joining this adventure with me! See you next time!
Moon Phase Diary: Start a Moon phase diary! Each night, look up at the sky and draw what the Moon looks like. Is it a crescent, a half-moon, or a full moon? Write down the date and what phase you think it is. After a month, look back at your drawings and see if you can spot the pattern of the Moon’s phases.
Moon Phase Cookies: Let’s make Moon phases using cookies! You will need some round cookies and white frosting. Use the frosting to create the different phases of the Moon on each cookie. For example, cover half the cookie for the first quarter, or just a small crescent for the waxing crescent. Share your Moon phase cookies with your family and explain each phase as you eat them!
Moon and Tides Experiment: Fill a large bowl with water to represent the ocean. Use a small ball to represent the Moon. Move the ball around the bowl and watch how the water moves. This is similar to how the Moon’s gravity affects the ocean tides on Earth. Try moving the ball closer and farther from the water to see how it changes the “tides” in your bowl.
Welcome to EA Homeschool Academy! Today, we will learn about the Moon. Have you ever looked into the night sky to see the wonder and beauty of the stars and the Moon? Have you ever wondered why the Moon is there and why it seems to change each night? Well, let’s learn all about the Moon today!
The Moon is one of the brightest objects in our night sky, and it orbits around the Earth much like how the Earth orbits the Sun. It takes the Moon approximately 27 days, or about one month, to complete its orbit around the Earth. The Moon is more than one-fourth the size of Earth and is made mostly of rock. Its surface has thousands of pits called craters, which are formed when chunks of rock and metal, called meteorites, crash into it.
During the day, when the Sun is facing the Moon, the surface temperature is about 225°F (107°C), but at night it drops to -243°F (-153°C). The Moon does not produce its own light; instead, it reflects light from the Sun. Depending on its position in the sky, part of it will be lit up, and part of it will be dark. Depending on its position in the lunar cycle, it will appear in different shapes, and this is what we refer to as the phases of the Moon.
The lunar cycle begins with the new moon, when the Moon appears completely dark. This is because the unlit side of the Moon is facing the Earth. Solar eclipses can only happen during the new moon phase because it is the only time that the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth.
The second phase in the lunar cycle is called the waxing crescent. The Moon will appear with a thin slice of light in the shape of a crescent. At this point in the lunar cycle, the Moon appears to be growing, hence the term “waxing crescent.”
The third phase in the lunar cycle is called the first quarter. The crescent from the second phase would have gotten thicker, revealing about half of the Moon. Some people refer to the Moon as a half moon, but the more accurate term is “first quarter” since the Moon is one-quarter of the way through its cycle.
The fourth phase of the lunar cycle is called the waxing gibbous. The word “gibbous” means swollen, and “waxing” means growing, so in this phase, the Moon appears to be growing even more with each passing day.
The fifth phase of the lunar cycle is called the full moon. In this phase, the Moon is the biggest, brightest, and most noticeable. At this point during the lunar cycle, the Moon is halfway through its orbit around the Earth. This is the only time that there can be a lunar eclipse because it is the only time the Earth’s shadow would fall on the Moon.
With each passing day, the Moon appears smaller. The sixth phase of the Moon is called the waning gibbous. The word “waning” means to shrink or get smaller, so as the Moon continues its orbit, it appears to get smaller each day.
The seventh phase of the Moon is called the third quarter because the Moon is three-quarters of the way through its orbit around the Earth. Half of the Moon is covered in this phase, and it appears to get smaller with each passing day.
The eighth phase of the Moon is called the waning crescent. As the Moon appears to shrink down to a thin sliver of light, it nears the end of its orbit around the Earth. With each passing day, the light completely fades until the Moon transitions completely into the new moon, and the cycle starts again.
The Moon has been a fascinating and intriguing object in our night sky for a long time. It is a natural satellite for Earth, and its gravity affects our planet. The Moon’s gravitational pull affects our ocean levels, creating high and low tide conditions. The Moon is big, beautiful, and bright. It may appear different each night as it completes its orbit around the Earth.
Now you know the various phases of the Moon! Can you name them all? New moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent.
I hope you learned something about the Moon today. Thanks for taking this learning journey with me! Until next time, as always, thank you for watching. Tell us what you want to see next by emailing EA Homeschool Academy at yahoo.com. Like and share our videos, and please subscribe to our channel!
