THREE LUNAR

PHENOMENA
• SUPER MOON
• BLOOD MOON
• BLUE MOON
Characteristics of the MOON
Relative to EARTH
 It is smaller than the earth.
Earth’s radius = 6378 kilometers or 3963 miles
Moon’s radius = 1738 kilometers or 1080 miles

 it takes 27.3 days to complete one revolution

the same rate as earth’s rotation

 the orbit of the moon is tilted 5 degrees

while earths axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees
Perigee (Closest Approach): 363,300 km
Apogee (Maximum Distance): 405,500 km

 there are two sides of the moon the near and

far side. And 7 phases of the moon as observed
on earth
 TWO SIDES OF THE MOON

 it takes 27.3 days to complete one

revolution the same rate as earth’s
rotation
NEAR SIDE FAR SIDE
Phases:
Observing and Identifying

New (couple days)

Waxing Crescent (several days)

1st Quarter

Waxing Gibbous (several days)

Full

Waning Gibbous (several days)

3rd Quarter

Waning Crescent (several days)

New
5
 FULL MOON

The light of the sun is directly receives by the

moon.
 NEW MOON

The light of the sun is luminating the far side of the moon .
Why is the moon emitting light of the sun?
Why is the moon emitting light of the sun?
The alignment of the sun – earth - moon

1.5 LUNAR eclipse

per Solar year

LUNAR ECLIPSE
 = LUNAR ECLIPSE

Eclipses occur when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon all lie
along a straight line.
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The Moon’s orbit is tilted 5 with respect to the elliptic
paths so there are only two times a year when the paths
overlap.
 Umbra is part of shadow where the sun is totally
obscured, the dark part.
 Penumbra is the part of the shadow where the sun is
partially obscured, the light part.
Progress of a Lunar eclipse.
The red glow is refracted red light from the Earth’s
atmosphere, much like the red glow we see before
sunrise and after sunset.
SUPERMOON
BLUE MOON

Is it really a rare phenomenon?

2 1/2 YEARS