Madison Denton

Ast 191 – 001

Inquiry Report

17 April 2019

Moon Phase Inquiry Report

1. Testable predictions

- Model 1: Because the Earth is always changing positions, the phase of the moon is

different in different parts of the world in any given night.

o Since the earth is in a different position throughout the day, it will be in a

different spot when it is casting its shadow on the moon’s surface.

- Model 1: Since the Earth travels on the same path every year, the phase of the moon will

be the same on a given day every single year.

o The earth goes through the same orbit every year. The seasons are always the

same with the solstices on approximately the same day every year. Since

everything is repeated every year around the same time the phases of the moon

should also be approximately the same.

- Model 2: The phase of the moon solely depends on the angle between the moon, earth,

and sun.

o Since the sun’s reflection is what allows us to see different phases, when the angle

between the sun and moon change, so will the phase because the sun is not

constantly shining directly on the moon.

- Model 2: The percentage of the moons surface that is visible on a given night depends on

the time of the moonrise and the difference between the moonrise and sunrise.

o Whenever the moonrise is late at night, there is a higher percentage of visibility.

Whenever the moonrise is early in the morning, there is a lower percentage of

visibility. There is also a greater difference between the moonrise and sunrise

when the moon gets closer to being a full moon.

2. Data & explanation

- The data for these 15 days allows us to see how the time of the moon rise and the phase

of the moon and percentage of the moon visible go hand-in-hand with each other.
 Whenever there is a greater difference between the moonrise and sunrise then we are able

to see more of the moon, and vice versa for when there is a smaller difference.

3. Data analysis

- The difference between the moonrise and sunrise is significantly higher when there is a

higher percentage of the moon visible. The angle between the moon, Earth, and sun is

also at its highest when the time between the moonrise and sunrise is the longest. When

the angle between them is at its highest (180°) we are able to see the largest amount of

the moon’s Surface, thus showing the full moon. When the angle is at 0° we are shown a

new moon thus not being able to see any of the moons surface.

- The testable prediction for model 1, along with model 1, are both clearly wrong because

the moon’s phase does not depend solely on earth’s shadow and location. If that were true

the phase of the moon would be different everywhere on earth every single day and

would have no consistency because the earth and moon are always changing positions

and are constantly in motion.

- The second testable prediction for model 2 is not entirely correct because the lunar month

does not line up with the “normal” 12 months we use to measure out a year on earth. It

could coincidentally line up but it is not a normal cycle for the same phase to take place

on the same day of the year every single year.

- However, we can tell that model 2 is completely correct because our data shows very

clearly how much the percentage of moon visible, moonrise, and difference between

noon and sunrise, line up. The angle and difference is much higher the closer the phase

gets to being a full moon, and very low the closer the phase is to a new moon.
- Both testable predictions are also true and are closely related to one another. Whenever

the difference between the sun and moon rise is greater, we are able to see more of the

moons surface, this also means that the angle between the sun and moon is at its highest.