The Lunar Cycle

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The Lunar Cycle

• The Regular cycle of the Earth- Moon system.
• It takes 29.5 days for the moon to move through
  the phases.

2
New Moon

• Cycle begins at the new moon
• The moon is not visible from the earth

3
Waxing Crescent

• You begin to see more of the moon as it appears
  to grow or WAX.

4
1st Quarter Moon

• You see half of the lighted side of the moon

5
Waxing Gibbous

• The moon continues to wax.

6
Full Moon

• You see the whole lighted side of the moon

7
Waning Gibbous

• The moon appears to get smaller or, WANE

8
3rd Quarter Moon

• You see half of the lighted side of the moon

9
Waning Crescent

• You see a crescent again.

10
New Moon

• The Cycle begins again, 29.5 days later

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The moon must travel in a counterclockwise
direction. The moon is always increasing as it
moves away from the sun.
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From the new moon to the full moon the moon gets
brighter each day
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Waxing
" Wax " on
The waxing moon is getting brighter and brighter
every day
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The moon is always decreasing as it moves
toward the sun.
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From the full moon to the new moon the moon gets
dimmer each day
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A waning moon is getting dimmer and
dimmer every day.
" Wane " off
Waning
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To remember that the Gibbous moon is more Than 1/2
Waxing Gibbous
Waning Gibbous
THINK Gibb ous MORE !!
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To determine if the moon is waxing or waning,
draw a stick beginning at the bottom of the phase
you see in the sky upward. The letter will be
made with the lit side of the Moon.
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When the moon makes a smile, and you cant tell
where to draw the stick to make a b or d,
find North or South. Start you stick in the
South and extend it into infinity and see which
letter you made.
N S
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In this case, the lines make a letter d showing
that the moon is on the Decrease or waning.
N S
"d" decrease !
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Near New
Far Full
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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30          

Lunar cycle is 29.5 days
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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30          

Each moon phase last about 3.5 days
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Seasons
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Seasons
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Lunar Eclipse
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Solar Eclipse
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Bibliography
Cars From East. Kent Eckholm. 21 September
2006 http//www.abc.se/m9805/eastcars/showcar.ph
p?car1142langen Galactic Images. John
Chumack. 21 September 2006 http//www.galacticima
ges.com Moon Phases. Keith Cooley. 21 September
2006 http//home.hiwaay.net/krcool/Astro/moon/m
oonphase/