What Shape is

the Moon?
We have learned that Earth and space are not Word box
always as they appear to our eyes, and the Moon is phases
another example of this. The Moon is approximately
a sphere, but it does not always look this shape in
the sky. When it is Full Moon it appears as a circle, but other times it looks
different, more or less than half a moon. Why does the Moon appear to
change shape?
Here are two Moon facts:
• The Moon does not make its own light so only the side facing the Sun is lit.
• The Moon orbits the Earth about every 27 days so at different times we
see different parts of the Moon lit by the Sun.

Earth

The Moon is always half lit.

Moon diary
Observe and draw the Moon’s shape every night for at least one month.

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 Earth and Space

The Moon is always there, but our eyes cannot see the part of the Moon
that is not lit by the Sun. At different times we see more or less of the lit
side of the Moon so it appears as different shapes. These are called the
phases of the Moon.

D E
C F
B G
A H

Phases of the Moon.

Full Moon – We see all of the light side of the Moon.

Half Moon – We see half of the light side (the other half of the light side
is facing away from the Earth so we cannot see it).
New Moon – We see none of the light side because it is facing away from
us and the Moon’s dark side is facing Earth.

Look at the Phases of

the Moon diagram.
1a Which Moon letter
shows a Full Moon?
1b Which Moon letter
shows a New
Moon?

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