2. The Moon is
much smaller
than the Earth,
the diameter is
just over a
quarter of the
Earth’s. It would
sit on top of the
USA or Australia.
It’s smaller than
most textbooks
make it look.
3. The Moon’s orbit is not a
perfect circle but an
ellipse. So it’s sometimes
nearer and sometimes
further. In Autumn it’s
closer, larger and rises at
sunset. This is called a
Harvest Moon.
5. Full Moon
We see the entire sunlit
side of the moon
Half Moon
We can see half of the
sunlit side of the moon
New Moon
We can’t see the sunlit
side of the moon
9. The side of the
moon we never
see (except
with
spaceships)
The far side of the moon
10. High tide and
Low Tide
The Moon’s
gravity gives
coastal areas
two high
tides and two
low tides a
day
11. Gravity pulls
water towards
the moon,
while
centrifugal
forces push it
away…
… so as the Earth spins
around in a 24 hour period,
any point on Earth goes
through two high tides
and two low tides
12.
13. Sometimes the moon passes into
the shadow of the Earth
This is called an eclipse of the
moon, or a lunar eclipse
15. Sometimes the moon passes
between the Earth and the Sun.
This causes an eclipse of the sun.
(solar eclipse)
Only a tiny part of the Earth’s surface is
affected, and not for very long.
16. August 11 1999
The dark shadow
saw a TOTAL
eclipse
Next one to pass
over England…
24th April 2090 !!!
