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Moon Project
Part 5A: TTN Questions
Reflect on the following questions based on your observations of the moon Through the Night
(TTN).
Type your answers in
blue font
between the questions. To receive full grade for the
questions section, you should address fully all questions asked below.
Changes in Motion of the Moon
All of the following questions should be answered based on your own observations, and NOT
answers found in the textbook or the internet or other sources.
TTN -1
Through the course of one night, you should have taken a minimum of 4 separate observations of
the Moon, spanning a minimum of 3 hours (from start to finish), separated by 1 hour apart.
Draw the path
of the moon over that time with a dashed line through your sequence of
observations, on the landscape.
Describe with words
,
below, the path you have drawn.
(Somewhere in your description should be terms such as “rising from”, “moving across”, or
“setting towards”, and reference to compass directions as well as left and right. Imagine
yourself outside, tracing the motion of the moon with your arm. How would you describe that
motion? There is no need to explain what you saw, just describe the motion clearly.)
Answer:
Observing the moon over a complete lunar cycle provides a fascinating journey, showcasing the
dynamic interplay of sunlight and the moon's orbit around Earth. Each phase offers a unique
perspective, with variations in illumination, shape, and visibility in the night sky.
TTN-2
How much did the moon move?
(Words like “a little bit”, “a lot” or “an impressive amount” are
not useful in science. Your answer should be given in degrees, based on
your own
specific
observations.)
Answer: Following the first quarter, more than half but not yet fully illuminated, the waxing gibbous
moon appears. It continues to grow brighter each night.
The illuminated portion is now more than half, but not yet a full circle. It's robust and gradually
approaching fullness.
TTN-3
Explain why you think the Moon changed its position in the sky as it did, through the course of
one night’s observations?
Answer: In the days following the new moon, a thin crescent of light becomes visible on the right side (in
the northern hemisphere) of the moon. This crescent gradually expands, marking the waxing
crescent phase.
The illuminated part is a slender, curved sliver, resembling a delicate fingernail.
TTN-3D:
If you were to observe the moon over a full 24 hour cycle, what would your observation sequence
look like,
on your specific landscape
?
(Make sure to include both the shape of the expected
sequence path the moon would follow, and direction.)
1
Moon Project
Answer: Moonrise (Evening):
The moon will first become visible on the eastern horizon shortly after sunset.
Its appearance may vary depending on the current phase (full moon, crescent, etc.).
Early Evening:
As the night progresses, the moon will gradually move across the sky.
Its position relative to the stars will change, and its illumination will be influenced by the angle of
sunlight.
Why
would the moon follow this sequence, as described above?
Answer: Moonset (Morning):
The moon will set on the western horizon as the sun begins to rise.
This is the end of the observation period for the night.
Changes in Shape of the Moon
All of the following questions should be answered based on your own observations, and NOT answers found in
the textbook or the internet or other sources.
TTN-4
Did the shape or orientation of the illuminated part of the Moon change over the time of an
observation sequence? If it did change, use specific and descriptive words to describe the change.
Answer: 1. New Moon:
At the start of the observation, during the new moon phase, the moon is not visible. It is positioned
between the Earth and the Sun, with the side illuminated by the Sun facing away from us.
TTN-5
Were there any other changes in the appearance of the moon over a given observation sequence?
Were those changes due to the movement of the moon or to other phenomena?
Answer: Moonset (Morning):
The moon will set on the western horizon as the sun begins to rise.
This is the end of the observation period for the night.
TTN-6
Explain why you think the apparent shape or orientation of the Moon changed or did not change
through the course of one night?
2
Moon Project
Answer: As the moon progresses to the first quarter, half of its right side becomes illuminated. The first
quarter moon looks like a half-circle, and it's visible during the evening.
Part 5B:
NTN QUESTIONS
Reflect on the following questions based on your observations of the moon Night to Night
(NTN).
Type your answers in
blue font
between the questions. To receive full grade for the questions
section, you should address fully all questions asked below.
Changes in Motion of the Moon
All of the following questions should be answered based on your own observations, and NOT answers found in
the textbook or the internet.
NTN-1
You likely have observations that span several days broken up by cloudy nights or other
interruptions. Ideally several observations were made at the same time each night, but this may
not have happened (if you completed two separate sequences, at two different times). Your goal is
to identify one or more sequences of linked observations on your drawing.
Draw the path
of the moon over the days within the same NTN sequence with a dashed line
through your sequence of observations, on the landscape. Make sure to indicate where the
sequence starts and end, based on your observations.
NTN-2
Describe, with words
, the path(s) the moon followed through your
NTN
sequence(s)
.
(Hints to assist in your description: Was the path essentially an arc up from or towards the
eastern or western horizon, or was it essentially a flat path through the sky? Or some other
pattern?)
Answer: The waning crescent is the final phase before the new moon. A slender, diminishing crescent
appears on the left side (in the northern hemisphere), signaling the approaching end of the lunar
cycle.
Which part of the ecliptic path in the sky did you see the moon in each of your linked
sequences?
(From previous discussions in our course we have seen that the Moon follows
close to the ecliptic path through the sky. From Toronto, or any mid northern latitude, the
ecliptic path is a broad arch including an eastern section, a section through the southern sky
and a western section.)
Answer: After the full moon, the illuminated portion begins to shrink. The waning gibbous moon is still
mostly full but decreasing in brightness night by night.
3
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Moon Project
Which way did the moon move along the ecliptic path from night to night (
NTN
)? To the
right - towards the west, or to the left – towards the east?
Answer: As the moon progresses to the first quarter, half of its right side becomes illuminated. The first
quarter moon looks like a half-circle, and it's visible during the evening.
On average, how much (in degrees) did the moon move from
NTN,
in your own observations?
How did you get this value?
(hint: this value should be coming from measurements of your
own observations!)
Answer: In the days following the new moon, a thin crescent of light becomes visible on the right side (in
the northern hemisphere) of the moon. This crescent gradually expands, marking the waxing
crescent phase.
NTN-3
From night to night movements you observed, can you conclude if the moon is orbiting clockwise
or counter-clockwise around the earth through the month?
(Hints: For a linked sequence of
observations, was the Moon exactly in the same place in the sky at the same time every night? Yes
or No?)
Answer: n the last quarter phase, half of the left side (in the northern hemisphere) of the moon is
illuminated. It looks like the first quarter moon but on the opposite side.
If directly observed, or projected from your observations, did the moon rise or set at the same time
each night? Yes or No? Ff no, how much earlier or later did it rise or set each day?
Answer: over a 24-hour cycle from Earth. Keep in mind that the moon's appearance and position in the
sky can vary based on factors like your location on Earth, the time of year, and the current phase
of the moon.
NTN-4
Explain
why
you think the Moon changed its position in the sky from
NTN
as it did?
Answer: The moon will set on the western horizon as the sun begins to rise.
This is the end of the observation period for the night.
Daytime:
NTN-4D:
If you were to complete your NTN sequence at the same time of night/day in the next lunar cycle,
where do you think your moon observations would occur, on your landscape, relative to the
observations from this current cycle?
(Be sure to be very descriptive in your answer, including
directions for moons’ new positions relative to the current ones, if you think they would be
different.)
Answer:
Why
would the moon follow this new sequence path, as described above?
4
Moon Project
Answer:
Changes in Shape of the Moon
All of the following questions should be answered based on your own observations, and NOT answers found in
the textbook or the internet.
NTN-5
How did the shape of the illuminated part of the Moon change over your period of observation?
Use specific and descriptive words. Note similarities and differences in your description if
different linked sequences were done at different phases of the moon’s cycle.
Answer:
NTN-6
Were there any other changes in the appearance of the moon over your observation period? Were
those changes due to the movement of the moon or to other phenomena?
Answer:
NTN-7
Explain
why
you think the Moon changed its apparent shape as it did?
Answer:
Part 5: Conclusions
Comparing your hunches with current understanding
Reflect on the following questions based on your observations of the moon
Night to Night (NTN).
Type your answers in
blue font
between the questions. To receive full grade for the questions
section, you should address fully all questions asked below.
How did the actual movement and change in apparent shape of the Moon change compare to your hunch
answers?
5
Moon Project
Answer:
How do your current explanations of why the moon changed its location and why it changed its apparent
shape compare with explanations you made in your hunch answers?
Answer:
Has the thinking that went into your hunch answers been essentially changed or essentially confirmed by
your observations and reflection during this project? (
Use
specific and descriptive words
to illustrate
features of this changed or confirmed thinking.)
Answer:
6
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