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Lecture 3
Phases of the Moon
January 2c, 2014
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Earth’s Moon
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Phases of the Moon

• The Moon orbits the Earth about once
every month.

• The Moon appears to have different phases

because we see more or less of the lighted
side of the Moon depending on where it is
with respect to the Sun.
4 First Quarter
Phases of the Moon
The green circle is the
Earth, looking down on
the north pole.
Waxing
Waxing
Gibbous The Sun is MUCH
Crescent
further away than
shown here. It is
drawn here to
indicate the direction
Full Moon New Moon from which the Moon
and Earth are
illuminated.

The Moon is depicted in its

Waning Waning various positions during
Gibbous Crescent one month, with an
adjacent image depicting
Last Quarter how it appears from Earth.
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Animation 1
Phases - Photos
Animation 2
(try especially the
“both top and Earth” view)
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Learning Moon Rise and Set Times

• The Earth’s rotation determines your

horizons
• Your horizons and the Sun determine local
time
• Use the local time and your horizons to
determine rise and set time for any phase
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Rotation of the Moon

• We only see one side of the moon
• Moon rotates at the same rate as it orbits the
Earth, so the period of its spin equals the
period of its orbit.
Pspin  Porbit
• When spin and orbital periods are correlated
it is called a synchronous orbit
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Rotation of the Moon

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Moon -- Part of Far Side

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Orbit of the Moon – Lunar

Month
• Sidereal Month = amount of time for the moon to
come to same spot with respect to the celestial
sphere. (27.321661 days)

• Solar Month = amount of time for the moon to

come to same position with respect to the sun
(29.53059 days)
– One Lunar phase cycle spans a solar month
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Sidereal and Solar Month

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About how much time does it take for the Moon

to go from its new phase to a waxing crescent?
A. 1 day
B. 4 days
C. 18 days
D. 26 days

0% 0% 0% 0%

120

s
ys
y
da

y
da

da

da
1

18

26
4

0 of 5
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About how much time does it take for the Moon

to go from its new phase to a waxing crescent?
A. 1 day The lunar cycle (synodic period)
B. 4 days lasts 29.53days, and the waxing
C. 18 days crescent phase is halfway between
D. 26 days new and first quarter, or about 1/8th
of a cycle. The time elapsed is thus
1
8  29.53 d   3.69 d  4 days
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How much time does it take for the Moon to move

10° against the background of the fixed stars?

A. 40 minutes
B. 18 hours
C. 10 days
D. 1.5 months

0% 0% 0% 0%
s

s
s
rs
120
te

th
y
u

da
u

on
ho
in

10

m
m

18

5
40

1.
0 of 5
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How much time does it take for the Moon to move

10° against the background of the fixed stars?

A. 40 minutes The lunar orbit (sidereal period)

spans 27.32 days, so it travels 360°
B. 18 hours
against the background stars during
C. 10 days that time. The time elapsed is thus
D. 1.5 months 27.32 d
 10°  0.759 d 
24 h
 18 h
360° d

10° is about the width of your palm viewed

from arm's length.
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Eclipses
• Umbra = darkest shadow of an object.
– Sun completely blocked in umbra
• Penumbra = lighter shadow
– Sun only partially blocked
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Eclipses
• Solar eclipse = when the Earth passes
through the shadow of the Moon

• Lunar eclipse = when the Moon passes

through the shadow of the Earth
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Total Solar Eclipse

• Sun completely covered by the moon –
observer is standing in the umbra

View from the Earth

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Partial Solar Eclipse

• Partial Eclipse: Sun is partly blocked by the
Moon – observer is standing in the penumbra

View from the Earth

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Annular Solar Eclipse

• Moon too far from Earth to cover Sun

completely -- umbra does not reach the
Earth

View from the Earth

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Solar Eclipse
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NASA Eclipse Site Zoom into this image

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Solar Eclipse -- August 11, 1999

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Total Lunar Eclipse

• Moon passes through umbra of the Earth.

Umbra
Total Eclipse

Sun E

Penumbra
View from Earth
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Penumbral Eclipse
• Moon only passes through penumbra.
Umbra
Total Eclipse

Sun E

Penumbral Eclipse
Penumbra

View from Earth

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Partial Lunar Eclipse

• Moon partially passes through umbra.
Partial Eclipse
Umbra
Total Eclipse

Sun E

Penumbral Eclipse
Penumbra

View from Earth

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Lunar Eclipse
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Why are there few eclipses?

• Orbit of moon is tilted with respect to
Earth’s orbital plane by 5°
• Line of Nodes = position where Moon and
Earth’s orbital planes intersect
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Line of Nodes
• When the moon is on the line of nodes it is
crossing the Earth’s orbital plane
• At other times moon is slightly above or
below the Earth’s orbital plane
• If moon crosses the line of nodes near a new
or full phase an eclipse will occur
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The Moon’s Orbit and Eclipses

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Phases of the Moon in-class activity