Science · Grades 4–8

Earth, the Moon and changing viewpoints

Rotation is spinning about an axis; an orbit is a path around another body.

Understand the idea

Rotation is spinning about an axis; an orbit is a path around another body.

Earth’s axial tilt changes the angle and duration of sunlight through the year.

Except during eclipses, sunlight lights about half the Moon; the visible lit portion changes.

Different parts of Earth turn toward and away from sunlight.

the cycle of day and night

Tilt changes sunlight angle and day length.

axial tilt during Earth's orbit

When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, the Southern Hemisphere generally has
1. the same summer at the same time
2. no daylight anywhere
3. no gravity
4. winter
Why is Earth's shadow not the usual explanation for crescent Moon phases?
At full Moon, which description is approximately correct?
1. The Moon's near side appears largely sunlit.
2. The Moon creates its own sunlight.
3. Earth's shadow covers the visible Moon.
4. The Moon has no far side.
Waxing describes a visible illuminated portion that is
1. increasing
2. always absent
3. decreasing
4. permanently frozen

winter
The hemispheres receive different seasonal sunlight conditions.
Ordinary phases reflect our view of the sunlit half. Earth's shadow is involved in lunar eclipses, not the normal phase cycle.
Credit the distinction between phase geometry and an eclipse.
The Moon's near side appears largely sunlit.
We see most of the illuminated near side.
increasing
Waxing refers to the growing lit fraction seen from Earth.