Unit 6: Earth's Cycles

Front

What is a new moon?

Back

A new moon is a phase of the Moon when it is not visible from Earth because it is positioned between the Earth and the Sun.

Front

What is a waning crescent?

Back

A waning crescent is a phase of the Moon that occurs after the third quarter, where less than half of the Moon is illuminated and it is decreasing in size.

Front

What is revolution in astronomy?

Back

Revolution is the movement of one celestial body around another, such as the Earth revolving around the Sun.

Front

What causes day and night on Earth?

Back

Day and night are caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis, which takes approximately 24 hours.

Front

What is the effect of the Moon's position on ocean tides?

Back

The relative positions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth affect ocean tides, with the greatest effect occurring during full and new moons.

Front

What is the definition of rotation?

Back

Rotation is the spinning of an object around its own axis, such as the Earth rotating on its axis.

Front

What are the phases of the Moon?

Back

The phases of the Moon are the different appearances of the Moon as seen from Earth, including new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent.

Front

What is a full moon?

Back

A full moon is a phase of the Moon when it is fully illuminated and appears as a complete circle in the sky.

Front

What is the significance of the first quarter moon?

Back

The first quarter moon is the phase where half of the Moon is illuminated and is a key point in the lunar cycle.

Front

What is an axis in astronomy?

Back

An axis is an imaginary line around which an object rotates, such as the Earth's axis.