Phases of the Moon

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/phases-of-the-moon

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 duration?Approximately 29.53 days, the time for a complete cycle of lunar phases
2. What is the primary astronomical significance?Historical basis for calendars, fundamental to understanding orbital mechanics and celestial geometry
3. What makes the Moon look different each night?The Moon reflects sunlight, not making its own light. As it orbits Earth, we see different parts of the lit side, so it changes shape.
4. Why can we’t see the Moon during a New Moon?When the Moon is between Earth and the Sun, the side that is lit faces away from us, so we don’t see it.

Synodic Period: The time it takes for the Moon to complete one cycle of phases as observed from Earth.
Sidereal Period: The time it takes for the Moon to complete one orbit around Earth relative to distant stars.
Apogee and Perigee: The farthest and closest points, respectively, of the Moon's elliptical orbit from Earth.