12.2. The Earth Moon System KNOW? The Phases of the Moon. Did You

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1 12.2 The Earth Moon System Did You KNOW? The Moon is Earth s closest neighbour. It is highly influential in our lives because it causes the oceans tides. The Moon is also responsible for eclipses. waxing gibbous full The Moon Illusion Have you ever wondered why the Moon looks so much bigger when it s close to the horizon? This is actually an optical illusion. When the full moon is close to the horizon, as it is when it is rising, it is often near the tree line or buildings. Since the trees or buildings are near you, the full moon appears to be just as close. As a result, your brain makes sense of the image by perceiving the Moon to be larger than normal. waning gibbous first quarter third quarter waxing crescent new waning crescent Figure 1 The phases of the Moon sunlight The Phases of the Moon The Moon revolves around Earth every 27.3 days. The Moon also takes 27.3 days to rotate. Therefore, the same side of the Moon is always facing us. Like all bodies in the solar system, one side of the Moon is always illuminated by the Sun. However, this so-called bright side does not always face Earth. Therefore, we see different amounts of the lit side at different times. The extent to which the Moon s illuminated surface faces us results in the various phases of the Moon. We call the Moon s phases the lunar cycle, which can be divided into eight distinct stages. Since the Moon is spherical, the illuminated portion we see is curved. The lunar cycle begins with the new moon phase, when the Moon is not visible from Earth (except during a solar eclipse; see below) (Figure 1). We do not see the new moon because the side that is illuminated by the Sun is not facing us. After this phase the illumination waxes, or increases in size, during the first half of the lunar cycle so that more and more of the lit side of the Moon is visible on Earth. The waxing crescent Moon appears like an arched sliver of light. The first quarter phase of the Moon appears to us as a half moon, since the other half of the lit portion is facing away from us. Following this phase, the Moon continues into its waxing gibbous, or bulging phase, in which the Moon appears to be more than half but less than fully illuminated by direct sunlight. A full moon appears as a completely lit circle in the sky, when the entire side of the Moon that is lit faces us. After the full moon phase, the lunar cycle wanes, and the amount of illumination that we see decreases. The lunar cycle progresses through the waning gibbous moon to the last quarter phase to the waning crescent moon until the new moon phase is reached once again (Figure 2). A simple way to remember the order of the phases is to think of (c) (d) Figure 2 New moon (darkened image to represent the new moon, which we cannot see) Waxing crescent (c) First quarter (d) Waxing gibbous (e) Full moon (f) Waning gibbous (g) Third quarter (h) Waning crescent (e) (f) (g) (h) 376 Unit D Space Exploration

2 the lit side increasing from right to left across the surface of the Moon during the waxing phases and the dark side increasing from right to left during the waning phases. Eclipses Although the Sun is approximately 400 times larger than the Moon, it is also approximately 400 times farther away from Earth than the Moon. For this reason, the Moon and the Sun appear to be the same size in the sky. It is the same apparent size of the Moon and the Sun plus the alignment of Earth, the Sun, and the Moon which sometimes result in one of the most breathtaking phenomena visible from our planet, a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs during a new moon, when the Moon is directly between Earth and the Sun (Figure 3). Because the Moon and the Sun appear to be the same size, the Moon completely covers the Sun during a total solar eclipse, leaving only the outer atmosphere of the Sun, called the corona, visible (Figure 3). Total eclipses can last from a few seconds to just over 7 min. They occur approximately once every two years somewhere on Earth. During a total eclipse, when the Sun is covered by the Moon, astronomers can safely study bursts of gases from the Sun, called solar flares, without damaging their eyes. Partial and annular solar eclipses occur when the Moon does not cover the entire disk of the Sun (Figure 4 and ). Figure 3 Alignment necessary for a total solar eclipse (not to scale) During a total solar eclipse, astronomers study the corona. A lunar eclipse results when Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon such that Earth casts its shadow on the surface of the Moon (Figure 5). A total lunar eclipse results when the entire Moon passes through Earth s shadow. If only part of the Moon passes through Earth s shadow, there is a partial lunar eclipse. During a total lunar eclipse, you might expect the Moon to be barely visible since it is hidden in Earth s shadow. Sometimes it is barely visible; however, sometimes the Moon takes on a bright red glow (Figure 5). Figure 4 A partial solar eclipse During an annular eclipse, the Moon is farther from Earth in its orbit, so it appears to be smaller than the Sun. As a result, we see a ring, or annulus, of the Sun. Note: Never look directly at the Sun because you will permanently damage your vision. Sun Earth Moon s orbit Figure 5 How a lunar eclipse happens (not to scale) How dark or how bright a lunar eclipse is depends on the amount of particles in Earth s atmosphere at the time of the eclipse The Earth Moon System 377

3 Did You KNOW? Egg-Shaped Moon The Moon is slightly egg-shaped. We only see a circular disk at full moon because the Moon s tip, which is the small end of the egg, always faces us. Sunlight is bent by Earth s atmosphere onto the Moon. The light is red for the same reason that the sunset is red: the shorter (bluer) wavelengths are scattered away by Earth s atmosphere, leaving longer (redder) wavelength light to shine on the Moon. Why do we not have a solar eclipse every new moon or a lunar eclipse every full moon? The reason for this lies in the nature of the Moon s orbit around Earth. Recall that Earth s path lies on an imaginary flat surface called the plane of the ecliptic. The Moon, too, has its own orbital plane as it revolves around Earth. The Moon s orbital plane, however, is not in the same plane as Earth s ecliptic plane. In fact, the Moon s orbital plane is tilted 5 to Earth s ecliptic plane (Figure 6). There are two points, or nodes, at which the Moon s orbital plane intersects Earth s orbital plane. Consequently, for a solar eclipse to occur, the new moon must be positioned between Earth and the Sun, at a node. Similarly, for a lunar eclipse to occur, the full moon must be aligned with Earth and the Sun, at a node. Usually, the Moon s position is above or below the disk of the Sun or Earth s shadow. Therefore, these phenomena do not occur every lunar cycle, but they do occur every six months. node Moon s orbital plane Figure 6 The nodes are the two points at which the orbital planes of Earth and the Moon intersect. If the Moon passes through a node during a new moon, a solar eclipse will result. If the Moon passes through a node during a full moon, then a lunar eclipse will result. node Earth s orbital plane Tides Tides are the alternate rising and falling of the surface of large bodies of water (Figure 7). Tides are caused by the interaction between Earth, the Moon, and, to a lesser extent, the Sun. The gravitational pull of the Moon on Earth results in the oceans bulging in the direction of the Moon. Figure 7 Low tide on Vargas Island, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia. Note the difference between the water level at the right and the high tide mark near the forest. What evidence indicates where the high water level is? 378 Unit D Space Exploration

4 In Figure 8, notice that the ocean also bulges on the opposite side, since Earth is also being pulled toward the Moon and away from the water on the far side. There are two tide cycles each day: high tide and low tide. low tide Moon high tide Earth high tide low tide resulting movement of water Figure 8 The Moon is primarily responsible for the tides. (Water levels are exaggerated.) During the new and full moon phases, when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are in a line, the gravitational pull on Earth is strong, causing very high tides called spring tides. The weaker neap tides occur when the Sun and the Moon are perpendicular to each other with respect to Earth, as they are during the first and third quarter moon phases. Therefore, the gravitational pull of the Sun somewhat counteracts the pull of the Moon on the oceans (Figure 9). 4. neap tides LEARNING TIP As you study Figure 9, look at each part of the diagram to see how it is organized. Examine the use of labels and arrows. Try to visualize (create a mental image of) the tides. tidal bulges 3. spring tides 2. neap tides Moon 1. spring tides Figure 9 Spring tides result when the Sun, Moon, and Earth form a straight line. Note that the word spring has nothing to do with the season. Neap tides result when the Sun and the Moon are perpendicular to each other with respect to Earth The Earth Moon System 379

5 12.2 CHECK YOUR Understanding 1. In your own words, describe the lunar cycle. 2. Why is only one side of the Moon visible from the Earth at all times? 3. Without referring to the text, reorder the phases of the Moon in Figure 10, starting with the new moon. Write the letters in the appropriate sequence. Write the names of the phases next to the letters. (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) 11. What are nodes? How often do nodes occur in the lunar cycle? (c) How are nodes related to solar eclipses? (d) How are nodes related to lunar eclipses? 12. What are tides, and how are they caused? What role does the Sun play in the formation of tides? 13. What are spring tides, and why do they occur? What are neap tides, and why do they occur? (c) Are spring tides more common during the spring? Explain. 14. For each phenomenon, sketch the necessary total solar eclipse (c) spring tides total lunar eclipse (d) neap tides 15. Identify each astronomical phenomenon in Figure 11. Figure 10 (c) 4. Are the phases of the Moon caused by Earth s shadow cast on the Moon? Explain. 5. With the help of a diagram, describe the during a solar eclipse. 6. What part of the Sun is visible during a total solar eclipse? 7. Why are solar eclipses important to astronomers? 8. With the help of a diagram, describe the during a lunar eclipse. 9. In your own words, explain why we do not have a solar eclipse every new moon. 10. Explain the difference between a partial solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse. Figure If you could stand on the Moon and look at Earth, Earth would appear to revolve around the Moon. Knowing this, explain whether Earth would appear to have phases to an observer on the Moon. (d) 380 Unit D Space Exploration

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