New Discovery internet article
There has just been a new discovery!!
When you look up into the sky and see moonlight, it is really the sun reflected by the moon’s surface. Also when you look at the moon you see different kinds of shapes. These shapes of the moon that are the patterns are called lunar phases. the cycle of the lunar phases begins with a new moon. During a new moon you cannot see the moon. The reason for this is because the sun is not shining on it. This happens on the first week. Still in the first week there is a waxing crescent. Waxing is when the shining part is getting bigger.
The second week is when half of the near side is in sunlight.This is called the first quarter, even though it looks like a half-moon. You see more of the moon as it goes along in its orbit. Also in the second week there is a waxing gibbous. Next are waning moons. In the third week (halfway through its cycle) is a full moon. A full moon is when the whole near side is in the sunlight. After that is a waning gibbous. Waning is when the part that is lit is becoming smaller.
Finally, in the fourth week there is a third quarter. The third quarter is when half of the near side is lit but it is the opposite side then a first quarter. Another name for a third quarter is last quarter. After the third quarter there is a waning crescent.
An eclipse occurs when a shadow makes the sun or moon seem to grow dark. There are two different eclipses. A solar eclipse is when the sun seems to darken. A lunar eclipse is when the moon darkens. The reason the moon becomes dark in a lunar eclipse is because it passes through the earths shadow. The umbra is the darkest peart in a lunar eclipse, and the penumbra is the spreading cone of a lighter shadow. Just before a lunar eclipse there is full moon. A total lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes completely into the earths umbra. If the moon misses part of the umbra it is called a partial lunar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, first it is a normal day. Then you start to see part of the sun going away, as the moon goes in front of it. After a couple hours, the moon covers the sun completely. Then the sky becomes as dark as the night and you might be able to see constellations. Solar eclipses happen when the moon passes directly between the earth and the sun.
the gravity of the moon causes tides on earth. Usually on a beach you see a regular tide then you start to see the tides getting higher and higher. At this point the water goes up farther into the sand. The average water level rises for about 6 hours. The highest tide is called a high tide. Then it drops for another 6 hours. The lowest tide level is called a low tide. The reason tides occur is because the moon’s gravity changes the earths oceans.
Rita Ebeid
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