why does the moon go through phases?

Question

why does the moon go through phases???


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Answer 1

The moon goes around the earth, and is lit on one side by the sun. It's not lit on the other side, so one half of the sphere is bright and one is dark.



When the moon is between the earth and the sun, it is up during the day, and the dark side is facing us. When the moon is at the other side of the earth from the sun, it is up during the night, and the bright side is facing us.



In between, the moon is up partly during the day and partly during the night, and we can see some of the bright side and some of the dark side, causing the phases.

Answer 2

The Moon is a sphere which travels once around the Earth every 29 days. As it does so, it is illuminated from varying angles by the Sun. At New Moon, the Moon is between the Earth and Sun, so that the side of the Moon facing towards us receives no direct sunlight, and is only lit by dim sunlight reflected from the Earth. As it moves around the Earth, the side we can see gradually becomes more illuminated by direct sunlight.



After a week, the Moon is 90° away from the Sun in the sky and is half illuminated, what we call First Quarter because it is about a quarter of the way around the Earth.



A week after this, the Moon is 180° away from the Sun, so that Sun, Earth and Moon form a line. The Moon is fully illuminated by the Sun, so this is called Full Moon. The Earth's shadow points towards the Moon at this time, but usually the Moon passes above or below the shadow and no eclipse occurs.



A week later the Moon has moved another quarter of the way around the Earth, to the Third Quarter position. The Sun's light is now shining on the other half of the visible face of the Moon.



Finally, a week later, the Moon is back to its New Moon starting position. Usually it passes above or below the Sun, but occasionally it passes right in front of the Sun, and we get an eclipse of the Sun.



The Moon's phases are NOT caused by the shadow of the Earth falling on the Moon. In fact the shadow of the Earth only falls on the Moon twice a year when there is a lunar eclipse.

Answer 3

Here is an experiment you can do on a sunny day to show the different phases of the moon and why they occur.



First of all, you know the moon goes around the earth, and both the moon and earth go around the Sun.



On a sunny day, go outside and take a ball with you. Hold the ball at arms length in front of you.



Face the sun-the side of the ball that you can see is directly in shadow. (New Moon).



Now start to turn keeping the ball in front of you. As you start you will see first a small amount lit and gradually you will see more and more.



When you are fully sideways from the sun, one half of the ball facing you will be in shadow and one half will be lit. (Quarter Moon)



keep turning when the sun is directly behind you the ball facing you will be completely illuminated. (Full Moon)



As you keep turning it gets less and less lit up.



So...when the Moon is between the Sun and Earth you can't see it, That's a New Moon. When the Moon is behind the earth, that is a Full Moon.



So why isn't there an eclipse every time there is a new or full moon you ask? it's because the moon's orbit wobbles a bit so it isn't exactly in front of the sun, or exactly behind the earth.



However a Solar eclipse only takes place during a New Moon, and a Lunar eclipse only can take place during a full moon.



Hope this helps.

Answer 4

When the Sun and Moon are aligned on the same side of the Earth, the Moon is "new", and the side of the Moon visible from Earth is not illuminated by the Sun. As the Moon waxes (the amount of illuminated surface as seen from Earth is increasing), the lunar phases progress from new moon, crescent moon, first-quarter moon, gibbous moon and full moon phases, before returning through the gibbous moon, third-quarter moon, crescent moon and new moon phases. The terms old moon and new moon are interchangeable, although new moon is more common. Half moon is often used to mean the first- and third-quarter moons.



The average calendrical month, which is 1/12 of a year, is about 30.4 days, while the Moon's phase (synodic) cycle repeats every 29.53 days. Therefore the timing of the Moon's phases shifts by an average of about one day for each successive month.



Phase Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere

Darkened moon Not visible Not visible

New moon Not visible, or traditionally, the first visible crescent of the Moon

Waxing Crescent moon . Right 1-49% visible Left 1-49% visible

First Quarter moon Right 50% visible Left 50% visible

Waxing gibbous moon Right 51-99% visible Left 51-99% visible

Full Moon Fully visible Fully visible

Waning gibbous Moon Left 51-99% visible Right 51-99% visible

Last Quarter Moon Left 50% visible Right 50% visible

Waning Crescent Moon Left 1-49% visible Right 1-49% visible

Answer 5

A simple experiment is to take a small ball, stand in front of a lamp with your back to it, then hold the ball in front of you. The ball will be fully illuminated, like a full Moon. If you turn 90 degrees clockwise, keeping the ball held in front, the ball will be half lit, like a quarter Moon. Then, turn again so that you face the lamp, with ball in front, and the ball will be shadowed like a New Moon.



You could use a golf ball because the pitted surface is like craters, and this would show why lunar craters show up best around the quarter Moon.

Answer 6

The Moon goes through Phases as at one side of the Earth there is the sun and at the other is the moont. The sun reflects light to the moon, causing it to illuminate.

Answer 7

it is like a wrist watch for us all!