Download mOON cHART - Glasgow Science Centre

mOON cHART
tEACHER GUIDE
Curriculum linked to ‘A Curriculum for Excellence’
Science - Planet Earth - Space
Suitable for S2-S6 pupils.
By charting the motion of the Moon pupils will enhance their understanding of the relative
motion within our solar system. In particular, pupils will investigate the motion of the
Moon across the sky along with why we observe different phases of the Moon.
Discussion Questions
Things to consider
•
Several factors must remain constant: location, time and
frame of reference.
•
The Moon may not be observable every evening when observing the night sky at the same time each day.
•
•
The calendar shows dates when the Moon is visible from
Glasgow between 6pm and 10pm. Starting the activity on one
of these dates will ensure that as pupils begin the activity they
will be able (weather permitting) to observe the Moon at their
chosen time (between 6pm and 10pm).
To guarantee that a full cycle of the Moon is observed, the
experiment should run for a minimum of 30 days.
•
Pupils may require more than one worksheet or sheet of paper to complete their diagram. For younger pupils it may be helpful
to suggest they start by drawing their first sketch of the Moon on the right hand side of their paper.
•
Depending upon the age/ability of the class, the
‘other things to try’ section of the pupil worksheet
may be useful. Use our ‘Star Maps’ activity
(available on Glasgow Science Centre’s website)
to help pupils identify specific constellations.
www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/moonchart.aspx
example
Can you explain
why the Moon
appears to change
shape?
Can you track the
Moon for the whole
month?
Does the Moon
follow a path or does
it appear to wander
around the sky?
Does the Moon
sometimes appear
larger or smaller
in the sky?
Does the Moon only
appear at night?
Why?
What is a Lunar
Eclipse? Is that the
same as a Solar
Eclipse? Does it
happen every
month? Why?
The Moon orbits
around the Earth but
does the Moon rotate
on its axis?
What evidence do
you have to support
your answer?
useful
information
Path of the moon
Like the Sun, the Moon rises and sets every day. It too rises in
the East and sets in the West. However, the Moon may appear
in the sky at night, or during the day. We often don’t think of the
Moon as being in the sky during the day since it’s difficult to see
because the Sun is so much brighter.
Moon Phases
A common misconception is that the phases of the Moon are
created by the shadow of the Earth. In fact, it is the relative
positions of the Sun, Moon and Earth that creates the appearance
of changes in the shape of the Moon.
Lunar Eclipses
As the Moon orbits the Earth, it occasionally passes through
the Earth’s shadow. It doesn’t happen every month but it does
happen a few times each year. This event is known as a Lunar
Eclipse. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon may appear to change
colour - anything from grey to a bright red colour may be
observed. No two lunar eclipses are the same.
A Solar Eclipse, on the other hand, occurs when the Moon
blocks sunlight from reaching the Earth.
The apparent path of the Sun around the sky is known as the
ecliptic. The Moon follows the general path of the ecliptic but
spends half it’s journey around the Earth above the ecliptic and
half below.
It takes the Moon 29.5 days to complete its orbit around the
Earth (known as a synodic period) but 27.3 days between full
moons (known as a sidereal period). That means that a full moon
doesn’t appear in the same location every time. It also takes the
Moon 27.3 days to spin on its axis which creates synchronous
rotation; meaning that the same side of the Moon always faces
the Earth.
Copyright © 2008 Glasgow Science Centre