RivadeneiraB-Lab 4
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Rowan-Cabarrus Community College *
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Course
111
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
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5
Uploaded by SuperSummerBoar7
Name: Blanca Rivadeneira
Date: 2/24/24
Lab 04 – Phases of the Moon
Background Material
Introduction to Moon Phases
Q1. Is there a dark side of the Moon? (This is a “yes/no” question, but you must explain your reasoning.)
Answer
: No, the “dark side” of the moon is just the far side of the moon. Half the time the far side is in light and half the time it is not.
Q2. How many days does it take the Moon to complete one cycle of phases?
Answer
: It takes about 29.5 days for the Moon to complete one cycle phases
Q3. If you see a full moon today, what phase would you see one week later?
Answer
: The first week after the full moon, the phase is called waning gibbous.
Q4. If you see a full moon today, what phase would you see one month later?
Answer
: If the moon is full today, then one month later, the moon will be in the full Moon again phase, since it takes 29.5 days for the Moon to complete a cycle phase
Q5. Some words in astronomy have similar meanings in everyday usage. Match the following definitions to the words below by typing/copying the definition next to the word.
convex or rounded
increasing in size, quantity, or intensity
decreasing in magnitude or importance
Answers
:
o
waning = decreasing in magnitude or importance
o
gibbous = convex or rounded
o
waxing = increasing in size, quality, or intense Q6. During a lunar eclipse, the moon passes through Earth’s shadow. How often does this actually occur?
Answer
: During a lunar eclipse, the moon passes through Earth’s shadow 2 to 4 times a year.
Q7. The figure below shows sketches of the moon’s appearance over a four-week period. Identify the phases and put them in the correct order (enter your answers cells of the table below the figure). One phase is labeled for you.
Figure 1
Answers
:
Picture
Order
Phase
Picture
Order
Phase
A
3
Waning Crescent
D
4
First Quarter
B
1
waning gibbous
E
5
Waxing Gibbous
C
6
Full moon
F
2
Waning Crescent
Time of Day
Use the interactive diagram at the bottom of the page to determine the direction of the Earth’s rotation when viewed from above the North Pole. [Hint: rotate the observer – the stick figure – to the noontime position, then sunset position, then midnight position, and finally back to the sunrise position.]
Q8. When viewed from above the North Pole, does the Earth rotate clockwise or counterclockwise?
Answer
: Viewed from above the north pole, the earth is rotating counter-clockwise.
Rising and Setting
Q9. When the moon crosses the western side of the horizon plane, is it rising or setting?
Answer
: When the Moon crosses the western side of the horizon plane, it is setting. This is because the Moon appears to be moving in a westerly direction across the sky as the Earth rotates on its axis from west to east.
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Q10. When the moon crosses the eastern side of the horizon plane, is it rising or setting?
Answer
: When the moon crosses the horizon plane's eastern side, it rises.
The Witness and the Detective
Q11. If we know the moon’s position in the sky and its phase, we can estimate the __________.
Answer
: Time
Lunar Phases Simulator
[
Before completing the table below, be sure to read the descriptions of the simulator controls provided in the instructions for this lab! Then practice using the simulator
.]
Q12. Each row in the table on the next page shows a diagram of the Earth – Moon system. For each diagram, find the time of the lunar cycle (in days and hours) at that position, its phase, and its percent illumination. [Orientation of the sunlight is important. You may find it helpful to print the next page containing the table diagrams, so that you can rotate it and hold it next to the screen to check your answers.]
Proceed to the next page.
Moon Geometry
Time in Phase
Phase
Percent
Illumination
11 days 9 hrs
waxing
gibbous
88
18 days 10
hours
Waning
Gibbous
85.4
3 days 16
hours
Waxing
Crescent
14.6
18 days 10
hours
Waning
Gibbous
85.4
7 days 5 hours
First Quarter
48.7