moon phases

Moon Phases

the different appearances of the Moon as seen from Earth, caused by the varying amounts of the Moon's surface illuminated by the Sun as it orbits the Earth, repeating in a cycle of about 29.5 days.

revolution

the movement of an object in a circular or elliptical course around another or about an axis or center. This also causes the seasons as Earth moves around the sun

rotation

the action of rotating around an axis or center.

Lunar calendar

a timekeeping system that bases its months on the cycles of the Moon's phases, with each month corresponding to a complete lunar cycle, from new moon to new moon

Moon’s Orbit - 5 degree tilt

the path the Moon follows as it revolves around the Earth, a nearly elliptical path that takes roughly 27.3 days to complete

Solar Eclipse

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth and partially or completely blocking the sun's light

Lunar Eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth's shadow to cast upon the Moon

Earth’s atmosphere

the layer of air that surrounds our planet, a mixture of gases that protects us from harmful radiation and sustains life

Umbra

the fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object, especially the area on the earth or moon experiencing the total phase of an eclipse

Penumbra

the partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an opaque object

Waxing

the period after a new moon and before a full moon, when the illuminated portion of the moon appears to grow larger each night

waning

any phase of the moon during the lunar cycle after the full moon and before the new moon, where the illuminated portion of the moon appears to be decreasing in size nightly

Gibbous

a "gibbous moon" refers to a lunar phase where more than half, but not all, of the moon's disc is illuminated, appearing bulging outward

Cresent

the shape of the visible part of the moon when it's less than half full, appearing as a thin, curved sliver, either waxing (growing) or waning (shrinking)

new moon

the phase of the moon when it is in conjunction with the sun and invisible from earth, or shortly thereafter when it appears as a slender crescent.

full moon

the phase of the moon in which its whole disk is illuminated

first Quarter moon

a lunar phase where half of the Moon's visible surface is illuminated, occurring approximately one week after the new moon and marking the Moon's journey through its first quarter of its orbit around Earth

Third Quarter Moon

the phase where the moon appears half-lit, with the illuminated side on the left in the Northern Hemisphere, and the moon has completed three-quarters of its orbit around Earth

Ray

each of the lines in which light (and heat) may seem to stream from the sun or any luminous body, or pass through a small opening

Crater

a large, bowl-shaped cavity in the ground or on the surface of a planet or the moon, typically one caused by an explosion or the impact of a meteorite or other celestial body

Maria

large, dark, basaltic plains on the Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions and impact basins filled with lava, and are easily visible from Earth

Meteoriod