This website was composed for an introductory Earth Science class at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. The lab assignment complements Lab #12 - The Moon in our text book: Johnston, P., Aber, S. W., and Ye, H. (1996). Introduction to earth science lab. Edina, MN: Burgess Publishing International. The phases of the Moon will be explored in this assignment.
During the month, the Moon’s appearance varies depending upon the amount of sunlight it is reflecting from its surface. During this time there are periods of daylight and darkness on the surface that lasts about 2 weeks. The temperature on the dark side is about -280 degrees Fahrenheit, and on the daylight side the temperature averages 261 degrees Fahrenheit.
This animation was taken from: http://kings.k12.ca.us/math/lessons/tides_support_files/why_phases.html
The Lunar phases result from the motion of the moon and the sunlight reflected from it’s surface. There are 8 distinct continual phases that the Moon travels through each month (U.S. Naval Observatory, 1999). The following phases make up the complete cycle that, on average, lasts 29.5 days.
1. New Moon - The Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight.
2. Waxing Crescent - Moon is less than one half illuminated.
3. First Quarter - One half of the Moon is illuminated.
4. Waxing Gibbous - The Moon is more than one half illuminated.
5. Full Moon - The visible Moon is fully illuminated.
6. Waning Gibbous - The Moon is more than one half illuminated, with the illuminated part decreasing.
7. Last Quarter - One half of the Moon appears illuminated, with the illuminated part decreasing.
8. Waning Crescent - The Moon is less than one half illuminated, with the illuminated part decreasing.
A complete cycle of the Moon through it’s phases is called a Synodic Month, and it takes approximately 29.5 days to complete. This is the Moon’s apparent period, not its true period, which takes only 27 1/3 days and it is called the Sidereal Month.
The reason for the difference of 2 days is due to the Earth-Moon rotation around the sun. The Moon may complete its rotation in 27 1/3 days, however it has to take an additional 2 days to return to its own starting position.
The Chinese people believed that there were twelve moons, one for each month. At the beginning of each month they believed that the Mother, Heng-o, would wash her children in a lake on the extreme western side of the world, and then, each child would travel for a month to the eastern side of the world (University of Michigan Website, 1999).
The Inuit people believed that the Moon, Anningan, constantly chases his sister, the Sun, across the sky. During the chase, he forgets to eat and grows thinner and thinner (representing the phases of the Moon). He only disappears during the full Moon to go eat, and then returns to chase his sister all over again (University of Michigan Website, 1999).
There is also an ancient Jewish legend that, if in the moonlight of Hoshana Rabbah, if a person does not cast a visible shadow (from their forehead), they are destined to die during the coming year (Robertson, C., 1999).
Finally, there has always been legends about people changing into werewolves during the full moon. In 1941, Maria Ouspenskaya wrote The Wolf Man, which gave birth to the first Hollywood Werewolf movie. (Robertson, C., 1999)
The second full moon during a month is called a Blue Moon. The “Old Farmers Almanac” also lists the names of each month’s full moon (Arnett, B., 1999)
| January Wolf Moon | February Snow Moon |
| March Worm Moon | April Pink Moon |
| May Flower Moon | June Strawberry Moon |
| July Buck Moon | August Sturgeon Moon |
| September Harvest Moon | October Hunter’s Moon |
| November Beaver Moon | December Cold Moon |
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/luna.html
http:\\www.moon-watch.com/
http:\\tycho.usno.navy.mil/vphase.html
http:\\saatel.it/users/lore/moon.html
I created this page and on November 18, 1999 and hope you have learned some on the phases of the Moon. kesslerb@esuvm.emporia.edu
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