Lunar phase

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lunar-phase

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the synodic period average?29.530588853 days
2. What is the sidereal period?27.321661 days
3. Why does the Moon look different each night?Because the angle between the Sun, Earth, and Moon changes, so we see more or less of the sunlit part.
4. How long does it take for the Moon to go through all its phases?About 29.53 days, called the synodic period.

Synodic Period: The time it takes for the Moon to return to the same phase as observed from Earth.
Sidereal Period: The time it takes for the Moon to complete one orbit around Earth relative to the stars.
Tidal Locking: The synchronization of a celestial body's rotation period with its orbital period.