Earth and it’s Moon

The Earth and its Moon

Earth revolves around sun Moon revolves around Earth

Only known natural satellite

Motions of the Moon

The Moon rotates on its axis Rotation – to spin Revolution – a body orbiting around

another body

Same side of moon always faces Earth because of this (near side)

Phases of the Moon

Moon phases – changing appearances of the moon as seen from Earth New moon – lighted half of moon facing

away from Earth Full moon – all the moon’s surface facing

Earth is lit up

Phases of the Moon

Waxing Phase After the new moon

Waxing crescent/gibbous First quarter

Waning Phase After the full moon

Waning gibbous/crescent Third quarter

Sides of Moon

Near Side What we see Mostly facing Earth because of rotation

and revolution around Filled with variation of maria and

highlands

Far Side Dark side that we don’t see here on

Earth Picture courtesy of pictinas.com

Three Surface Features

Craters – depressions or dips on moon’s surface Caused by metorites, asteroids, comets

Maria – latin for ‘seas’. Dry, hardened lava

Highlands – higher elevation land on surface of moon

Picture courtesy of nasaimages.gov

Moon Websites http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/vphase.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lunar_libration_with_phase_Oct_2007_450px.gif

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