2006-09-27 11:00:38 · 8 answers · asked by Sam 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The sun is a long way from the earth, and the moon revolves around the earth. The earth spins on its axis, too. Try this:
Imagine you are the earth. Put a ball in your hand, take the lampshade off a lamp in your living room and turn out all the other lights except the lamp. Now stand as far from the lamp as you can in the room, and spin around slowly with the ball in your hand at arm's length. Look at the ball as you spin around slowly and notice how the shadow and light change on the ball. That's the same thing as the earth and moon.
Now put the lamp shade back on the lamp and turn the other lights back on before your mother finds out what you've been doing.
2006-09-27 11:08:49 · answer #1 · answered by mcmustang1992 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Starting with the full moon - A day or two before the "full moon" you will see the
moon rise just before sunset. At full moon it will rise as the sun sets, and of course
after the sun sets as the time goes on. Each night after, notice how the light on the
moon shrinks from full to last quarter and then to nothing (a 2 week time period).
Also during this time you will notice the moon "traveling" closer to the sun.
Two weeks from full moon (day may vary) look for the sliver of the moon just before sunset.
As the moon moves into NEW moon and you cannot see at all, watch for it to become noticable
as a sliver in the other direction as the sun sets. Follow the light on the moon as
it expands to first quarter and then to full. So you can actually see the moon and the sun
at the same time virtually most of the month.
2006-09-29 00:29:25 · answer #2 · answered by orion_1812@yahoo.com 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well actual excpt when the earth eclipses the moon. one full side of the moon is always lit by the sun. so that if looking from the sun and earth you would not see any phases if the moon. but as the moon travels around the earth, we see the lit an unlit side because of the difference in it's relative angular position to earth, giving the illusion of phases. shine a flashlight on a ball in a darkend room. and walk around the ball, and you can duplicate this effect.
2006-09-27 18:12:10 · answer #3 · answered by yehoshooa adam 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fact that the angle that the sun shines on the moon and the angle of sight between the Earth and the moon change in a 30 day cycle.
2006-09-27 18:02:38 · answer #4 · answered by bruinfan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the moon's phases are caused by it's rotation on it's axis
2006-09-27 19:04:10 · answer #5 · answered by charles w 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's rotation around the earth
2006-09-27 18:01:50 · answer #6 · answered by Chris C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you watch Discovery Kids, there's a Dalmatian dog that explains it everyday.
2006-09-27 18:24:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the earths shadow
2006-09-27 18:07:37 · answer #8 · answered by kermit 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋