RAFT JOURNAL R Role Astronaut A Audience People

“RAFT” JOURNAL: R – (Role) Astronaut A – (Audience) People on Earth F – (Format) A newspaper article T – (Topic) Why the moon IS/IS NOT a great place to live

THE MOON’S MOTION

THE FACES OF THE MOON • Rotates and revolves at the same rate • We always see the same side • Dark side is not same as the far side • They coincide at full moon • Far side has many craters, but fewer maria

THE MOON’S WAXING PHASES • Cycle begins at New Moon – moon is same direction as sun, cannot see it • Waxing Crescent – thin sliver on the right side of the moon • Cusps (“horns”) point away from sun • Earthshine (light reflecting off of earth to the moon and back) illuminates the shadowed part • First Quarter – terminator is straight up and down • Waxing Gibbous – the growth of the lighted part of the moon between the first quarter and full moon

THE FULL MOON – HALF WAY THROUGH THE CYCLE • Rising of the full moon = same time as setting of sun, and vice versa • Harvest Moon – helped farmers gather crops after sundown • (Sept. in N. Hemisphere/March in S. Hemisphere) • Hunter’s Moon – fields are clear of vegetation and hunters can spot game animals more easily • (one month after harvest moon)

THE MOON’S WANING PHASES • Waning Gibbous – darkness appears on the right side • Last Quarter – terminator is straight and darkness covers the right side • Waning Crescent – moon slowly goes out of sight

THE MOON’S ORBIT • Elliptical • Perigree – closest • Apogee - farthest • Moving away • 3. 8 centimeters per year • Period (time to travel around Earth) of 29. 5 days when viewed from earth

SOLAR ECLIPSES • When the moon comes between the earth and the sun • Total eclipse = when the moon covers the sun’s entire disk • Happens if the umbra (darker part of moon’s shadow) reaches earth’s surface • Partial eclipse = when the moon covers part of the sun’s disk • Happens if the viewer is in the moon’s penumbra • Annular eclipse = a ring-shaped portion of the sun’s disk shows around the moon • Happens at apogee

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SOLAR ECLIPSE • Baily’s beads – pinpoints of light caused by sunlight shining through valleys at the moon’s edge • Diamond ring effect – when a bright bead of light is visible while the rest of the solar crescent remains thin • The effect: sky is darkened, temperature drops, some bright stars become visible • Totality lasts from an instant to 7. 5 minutes

LUNAR ECLIPSE • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=l. Ni 5 UFpales • When the moon passes into the earth’s shadow • If it goes through earth’s umbra = total eclipse • If it goes through earth’s penumbra = partial eclipse • Longest time it can be in earth’s shadow is one hour and forty minutes, but time varies