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Earth's Origin
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The Moon


Images

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The Moon

How many songs can you think of that have the Moon in them?
Moon music: http://www.inconstantmoon.com
Blue Moon-The Platters

WITHOUT THE MOON, WE MAY NEVER HAVE EVOLVED. LIFE, IF IT HAD STARTED AT ALL, WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT – STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE ON A HOSTILE AND CHAOTIC WORLD, ALMOST ENTIRELY COVERED IN WATER. THE MOON IS THE EARTH'S CLIMATE REGULATOR, MAKING EARTH A PLEASANT PLACE TO LIVE.

Origin of the Moon

There are 4 theories about how the moon formed.

  1. Moon formed at the same time as the Earth already in orbit.
  2. Earth was spinning so fast at formation that a chunk of it spun off and formed the moon.
  3. Moon formed somewhere else in the solar system and was later captured by the Earth's gravity.

    These theories although thought to be true before the 1980's are now not thought to be possible.
  4. The Impact Theory!

    The moon is the result of the Earth's largest impact!

    At the time Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, other smaller planetary bodies were also forming.  A proto-planet larger than Mars smashed into Earth, blowing out rocky debris.  Some of that debris went into orbit around the Earth and formed the moon.

    Evidence for the Moon collision Theory

    1. Moon's Density is low: moon core is small suggesting a collision event after the earth's iron sank to the Earth's core.
    2. No water in moon rocks: moon material was vaporized as it exploded into space.
    3. Giant Moon: moons in the solar system are very small compared to their planet except for Earth and Pluto.
      http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/
      http://www.astronomytoday.com
      http://www.psi.edu/projects/

Moon Information:

  • 4.5 Billion Years old (Same as the Earth)
  • Formed from a collision (accepted theory)
  • Contains many impact craters (no atmosphere)
    See the surface:     http://www.moon-phases.com/moon-map/moon-map-index.html
  • Moonlight is really reflected sunlight
  • Same side of the moon always faces the Earth

What do you think the "back" side looks like?
Want to see the back of the moon? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tothemoon/origins.html

Does the Moon rotate?

  • Rate of Rotation = Rate of Revolution = 27.3 earth days
  • Lunar Maria: dark areas of basalt lava filled basins
  • Moon rises 50 minutes later each day (due to its revolution)
  • Has an elliptical orbit
    • Perigee: closest to the earth
    • Apogee: farthest from the earth


Which picture of the moon was taken at perigee?  How do you know?

Why does the Moon change phases?
Reasons http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030810.html


Classzone Moon Phases
See the phases change from space
  http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/projects/data/MoonPhases/

moonlight.gif (8192 bytes)

    1. The moon revolves around the Earth
    2. Moonlight is reflected sunlight
    3. We see the lighted part of the moon
    4. The phases change from the right to the left
      Moon's Phases: http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/vphase.html

Interactive from this site: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/

Answer the following questions according to the above animation:

  1. At what time of day does the observer leave the sunlit side of the Earth and enter the dark side?
  2. Where is the person compared to the moon when the moon is first rising in the landscape view?
  3. Where is the person compared to the moon when the moon is at the top of the sky (the zenith) in the landscape view?
  4. Where is the person compared to the moon when the moon is setting in the landscape view?
  5. How many days are there between the New moon and the full moon?
  6. Is it ever possible to see the moon at noon?
  7. Click on “Pause Time” and set the clock to midnight. Click on the days in the calendar to answer these questions:
    • On what day is the moon first visible at midnight?
    • For how many days is the moon visible at midnight?
  8. You go outside tomorrow at midnight and see the moon low in the sky to the west.
    If you go out tomorrow at midnight, where will the moon be?
  9. If you watch the sky from midnight to 3AM, which way does the moon appear to move?
  10. If you take a picture of the moon every night at midnight, which way does the moon appear to move?

Waxing phases: New Moon to Full Moon (Brighter)

waxingcrescent.gif (17940 bytes) waxingcrescent2.gif (34816 bytes) firstquarter.gif (41806 bytes) waxinggibbous.gif (58467 bytes)
Waxing Crescent
Waxing Crescent
First
Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full
Moon

Waning phases: Full Moon to New Moon (darker)

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Full
Moon
Waning Gibbous
Third
Quarter
Waning Crescent
Waning Crescent

Moon's phases: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/moon_phases.html

Eclipses

From this site: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/

Solar Eclipse: Moon blocks the Sun.

Lunar Eclipse: Earth's shadow covers the moon

The Shadow's:

  • Umbra: Total shadow
  • Penumbra: Partial shadow

Draw and label the phases 1-8

Write down the phase of the moon for each picture.

9.waningcrescent.gif (27030 bytes) 10.waxingcrescent.gif (17940 bytes) 11.waxinggibbous.gif (58467 bytes) 12.waninggibbous.gif (56750 bytes)
13.fullmoon.gif (67244 bytes) 14.firstquarter.gif (41806 bytes) 15.waningcrescent2.gif (21423 bytes) 16.

How the Moon and Sun rock us!

Tide Quicktime Explanation

The gravitational pull of the sun and the moon create tides. Actually, tides can occur anywhere, from inside Earth's crust to large lakes, to the atmosphere. We notice tides the most at the seashore.

The most important driving force behind tides is the gravitational pull of the moon. In fact, the moon is twice as important to the size of tides than the sun. Besides the sun and moon, the shape of the coastline, depth of the water and features on the ocean floor all affect tides.

Tides:
  • rises and falls of large bodies of water.
  • Caused by the gravitational pull between the Earth and the Moon.
  • Since the earth is rotating while this is happening, two tides occur each day.
Spring tides:
  • Very Strong tides
  • Nothing to do with the season Spring
  • Occur when the Earth, the Sun, and Moon are in a line.
  • Occur during the full moon and the new moon phase.

Neap tides:
  • Weak tides
  • They occur when the Moon and the Sun are perpendicular to one another.
  • Neap tides occur during quarter moon phases.


[Highest Tides in the World ]

Moon Animation

Questions:

The diagram below shows the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth when an eclipse was observed from Earth. Positions A and B are locations on Earth’s surface.

1. Which statement correctly describes the type of eclipse that was occurring and the position on Earth where this eclipse was observed?

    1. A lunar eclipse was observed from position A.
    2. A lunar eclipse was observed from position B.
    3. A solar eclipse was observed from position A.
    4. A solar eclipse was observed from position B.

2. The diagram shows the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun for a 1-month period.  Which phase best describes the appearance of the Moon at position P when viewed from Earth?

    1. new
    2. full
    3. quarter
    4. crescent

3. One complete cycle of the phases of the Moon takes approximately one

    1. day
    2. week
    3. month
    4. year

4. An observer on Earth sees the phases of the Moon because

    1. the Moon revolves around the Sun
    2. the Moon rotates on its axis
    3. Earth revolves around the Sun
    4. the Moon revolves around Earth

5. The diagram below shows the positions of the Moon and the Sun at sunset during an evening in New York State. Points A, B, C, and D represent positions along the western horizon. At sunset on the following evening, the Moon will be located at position

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D