Moon+Phases+WebQuest

Welcome to the Moon Phases WebQuest!!! If you watch the moon every night, you see its shape appear to change. //Does the moon really change shape?// Of course not, but its //appearance// from Earth certainly changes. How does this work? The answer lies within the part of the moon that receives sunlight, and the part of the moon that does not receive sunlight.

PART 1: Which parts of the moon reflect the light of the sun? Let’s look at a diagram of the Earth moon system to figure out how this works.

Click on the Words "Activity # 1" Below


 * Sunlight approaches the Earth-moon system from the right on this diagram (Click on the picture to start the program).
 * Your job is to determine which half of the moon is receives sunlight, and which half of the Earth receives sunlight.
 * Move the mouse on each part of the diagram to arrange the light/dark shades over each moon position, click to set the shadow on the moon. (The program will tell you when you have them all correct). [Don't forget to highlight the proper shadow on the Earth too!!]

ACTIVITY # 1

Watch this short Video to get the idea of how the Earth, Sun and Moon move together  VIDEO # 1

OK, so what does this have to do with moon phases? Well, the moon "shines" by reflected sunlight. As the moon orbits Earth, sunlight "shines" on different parts of the moon on the side of the moon that we can see. We always see the same side of the moon. (Why? Because the moon only spins once per lunar month on its own axis as it orbits the Earth, so we always see the same side.) The key to understanding moon phases is: //although the sun always shines on the same side of the moon, the moon is not always in the same place while orbiting Earth with respect to the sun.// That sounds confusing, so let's work through a little diagram so you can visually see this and figure it out.

PART 2: What are the phases of the moon? Click on the Words "Activity # 2" Below

The diagram still shows the shadows that you correctly identified before, but in this diagram, you will need to determine //what the moon looks like to humans on Earth//. It's all a matter of perspective.


 * The green dashed line divides the moon into two halves - the half we can see from Earth, and the half we don't see.
 * Look at the moon when it is at position (a). It looks like half of the moon is light and half is dark.
 * Find and click the picture that shows what the moon looks like in position (a). If you pick the correct picture and information box will pop up telling you about the phase. You can close the box and move on to the next phase.
 * Your job is to continue through all the phases, through (h), to determine if you can figure out which moon phase matches with the position on this diagram.
 * After you get match the picture for all of the phases, Try answering these questions to see if you really understand the facts about the Earth-moon system.

Activity # 2

Watch this short Video to get the idea of how the Earth, Sun and Moon move together VIDEO #2  Please enjoy the music video below!! media type="youtube" key="AQRNzepe4wI" height="315" width="420"

Let’s summarize:


 * At new moon, the moon is nearly in line with the sun. The illuminated part of the moon faces away from Earth, so the moon appears invisible in the night sky.
 * A few days after new moon, the waxing crescent moon appears above the western horizon soon after sunset. Each evening it becomes larger and higher above the horizon.
 * About a week after new moon, the moon reaches first quarter and appears high in the southern sky at sunset. The first quarter moon does not set until about midnight, so to see it you must watch late-night talk shows and go outside after they are finished.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">In the days following first quarter, the waxing gibbous moon continues to grow. It appears to move further east, and it sets later in the evening.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">About two weeks after the new moon, the full moon arrives, rising in the east and setting in the west. The full moon is visible all night long, and it sets in the west around sunrise.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">The waning phases of the moon are not as visible because the moon is not visible in the early evening when most people are out and about. As the moon wanes through gibbous, it rises later and later. By the time third quarter rolls around, moonrise doesn't occur until around midnight. If you want to see a waning crescent moon, you must get up early before sunrise and look for the moon in the eastern horizon.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">The lunar cycle (moon phases) repeats with a period of 29.5 days. This is called a synodic period. Synodic comes from the Greek words meaning journey together, referring to the sun and moons positions with respect to each other.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 180%;">PART 3: The BIG Picture Click on the Words "Activity # 3" Below This part puts everything in action and lets you observe moon moving around the earth in it's orbit. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 140%; text-align: center;">Activity # 3
 * You can click on the moon and drag it with the mouse.
 * Click the "Start Simulation" button and the moon will move in it's orbit and the earth will spin on it's axis. (The timing of the simulation is scaled accuratly, The earth makes a complete rotation 29.5 times in the time it takes the moon to go through a complete cycle).
 * You can also click on the number buttons to jump to a certain day in the moon's phase cycle.
 * Or click on the phase buttons 'First Quarter', 'New Moon', etc.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: left;">Do you really understand?? Please take the following Quiz!!!! media type="custom" key="12065545" width="210" height="210" align="center"