Phases of the Moon

Phases of the Moon

Have you noticed that sometimes the moon looks like a tiny sliver of light in the night sky? Other times it is a big, brilliant circle. The moon has many different looks during the month. Each look is called a lunar phase. Lunar means “of the moon.” The moon has phases because it orbits Earth. The Earth revolves around the sun. The moon revolves separately around Earth. The moon itself does not actually change size. It appears to change size because different parts of it are in the shadow. In the new moon phase, none of the part of the moon that is facing Earth is lit by the sun. It appears as only a dark outline.

During the waxing crescent phase, the moon looks small. Only a tiny sliver of the moon’s side that is facing Earth is lit by the sun. The next phase is the first quarter phase. In it, half of the moon’s nearest side is lit by the sun. We see it as about one-fourth of a full moon. During the waxing gibbous phase, more of the moon is lit. Even so, it is not quite a full moon yet. In the full moon phase, all of the side of the moon that is facing Earth is lit by the sun. It appears as a large, bright circle. During the waning gibbous phase, some of the part that was lit as a full moon begins to fall into the shadows. In the last quarter phase, a different side of the moon is lit. Again, the moon appears as one-fourth full. During the waning crescent phase, the moon slips further into shadows.

It is a thin crescent shape once more. After this phase, the entire lunar cycle begins again with a new moon.

1) What is meant by a “phase” of the moon?

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2) Why does the moon appear to be different sizes?

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3) What are the two phases during which the moon appears almost full, but not quite?

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4) What are the two phases during which the moon appears as only a tiny sliver?

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5) What is your favorite phase of the moon? Why?

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Mysterious

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “once in a blue moon?” People use this expression to describe something that they do not do very often. For example, someone might say that he tries to avoid eating sweets because they are unhealthy, but will eat chocolate “once in a blue moon.” Or someone who does not usually like to go to the beach might say “I visit the shore once in a blue moon.” While many people use this phrase, not everyone knows the meaning behind it.

The first thing to know is that the moon itself is never actually blue. This is just an expression. The phrase “blue moon” actually has to do with the shape of the moon, not the color. As the moon travels around the earth, it appears to change shape. We associate certain names with certain shapes of the moon. For example, when we can see a small part of the moon, it is called a crescent moon. A crescent is a shape that looks like the tip of a fingernail. When we cannot see the moon at all, it is called a new moon. When we can see the entire moon, it is called a full moon. Usually, there is only one full moon every month. Sometimes, however, there will be two full moons in one month. When this happens, the second full moon is called a “blue moon.” Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons. As you can see, a blue moon is a very rare event. This fact has led people to use the expression “once in a blue moon” to describe other very rare events in their lives.

Questions

1) Which of the following would be a good example of someone doing something “once in a blue

moon”?

A. Mary likes to go to the mountains every weekend. Mary goes to the mountains once in a blue moon.

B. Tom rarely remembers to take out the trash. Tom takes out the trash once in a blue moon.

C. Cindy hates to wash the dishes. Nevertheless, she does it every day. Cindy washes the dishes once in a blue moon.

D. Ming sometimes forgets to do his homework. Ming forgets to do his homework once in a blue moon.

2) When does a blue moon happen in nature?

A. when there are two full moons in one month

B. when the moon

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