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Observing the Moon

LIGHT

FROM

THE

SUN

Waxing crescent

The inner ring of small Moons shows how the Sun’s light hits the Moon’s surface.

First quarter

New moon

Waning crescent

Third quarter

Waning gibbous

Full moon

Waxing gibbous

The outer ring of larger Moons shows what we

see here on Earth.

As the Moon makes its orbit around Earth every 27 days, we see different parts of its surface reflecting light. The diagram below shows the phases, or

the different looks, of the Moon as it makes one orbit of Earth.

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Moon Observation Chart

On what date was there a full moon?

Considering it takes around 27 days for the moon to orbit the Earth, on what date do you predict there will be the next full moon? *

From what date was the Moon waxing?

From what date was the Moon waning?

* Check your prediction on the NASA website at:https://moon.nasa.gov(select the phases tool)

Equipment:• Moon observation chart• Black marker pen

Method:

1. Decide what time you will make your observations each nightand write it on your chart.

2. At your chosen time, observe the Moon’s shape.

3. Fill in the date on your chart. Then colour in that day’s section,leaving a white area that matches the shape of the moon. If it’scloudy and you can’t see the Moon, draw cloud for that night’sobservations.

Discover how the Moon seems to change shape by observing it each night for a month.

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Moon CratersWhen asteroids and other space rocks head for the Moon, they do not burn up in a protective atmosphere. Instead they crash onto its surface, creating hundreds of thousands of craters.

All the impacts from space objects have smashed and broken up the top layer of the Moon’s crust. Its surface is covered with dust and rocks – some as big as trucks. This rocky, dusty mixture is called regolith.

Smooth plains

Mountains

Craters

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Let’s Make Moon Craters!Have a go at replicating moon craters, considering what makes craters deeper and wider. Use rocks of different sizes to represent asteroids and space rocks crashing into the Moon’s surface.

Will the height at which you drop your rocks have an impact?

What about the force with which they are dropped?

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Equipment:• Some sand• Cocoa powder• A foil baking tray• Pebbles of different sizes• A tape measure

Pebble

Predictions:

I think that if I ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

then the crater will be deeper.

I think that if I …………………………………………………………………………………………….

then the crater will be wider.

Method:

1. Fill the tray with sand and pat it down. Dust some cocoa powder over the top.

2. Take the tray outside.

3. From a measured distance away from the tray, drop or throw a pebble into it.

Carefully remove the pebble and it will leave behind a crater.

4. Record the depth and width of the crater.

5. Test your predictions to make a deeper and wider crater. Experiment with how

high and hard your pebble is dropped and note down any observations.

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Observation table

Results:Did you predict correctly? What relationships did you find regarding how the pebble was dropped and how wide and deep the craters were?

Pebble drop description (size of pebble, from what height

and with what strength)

Width of crater

Depth of crater

Other crater observations