the STEM zone
Name: ___________________________________________________________________
By Mike Reynolds
Lunar Phase Observations Form
Understanding ‘The Moon in Our Sky’
T
he Moon is our closest celestial
neighbor. It changes shape, sometimes
it is in the evening sky, sometimes
the morning sky, and sometimes it seems we
cannot see it at all.
The purpose of “The Moon in Our Sky” activity
is for students to individually observe the Moon
over a period of time to better understand its
phases, position in the sky and movement.
The number of times or period of observation
is up to you – and the weather. At a minimum,
students should track over a two week period,
from new moon to full moon. That way they will
get an opportunity to see how the shape of the
moon – the phase – changes night to night. And
they should also note how the position of the
moon changes night-to-night, as the Moon orbits
Earth.
There are a number of excellent phases of the
moon videos on YouTube. You should select one
that is appropriate for your students. One I wrote
that might be a little too-high level for some age
groups can be found here on YouTube.
The United States Naval Observatory has an
excellent website that includes specific Sun
and Moon data for one day. This will show you
specifics like moonrise and moonset times as
well as the Moon’s phase for your location for
any date you choose.
Students can keep a log of their observations
over a period of time. That way they can record
the changes and compare these in their observing
logs. It does not take a telescope, all they are
recording is the shape of the Moon, and some
other data that astronomers would include like
the date and time.
Why is this type of observation important?
First, it gets students thinking like a scientist:
Making observations and recording data.
Second, students can see the changes and
a little better understand why we see these
changes.
ooo
In addition to being a longtime STEM advocate,
Dr. Mike Reynolds is a dean and professor of
astronomy and physics at Florida State College
and a recognized expert on meteoritics. He
participated in NASA’s Teachers in Space
P rogram and has served as executive director of
the Chabot Space & Science Center.
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Date and
Time
Place where you
observed the
Moon
Sky conditions: was
it clear, a little
cloudy, a lot
cloudy, or…
The Moon’s shape
COURTESY OF NASA/BILL DUNFORD
This NASA graphic aims to explain why the Moon goes through phases for Earth-bound
viewers. The center ring shows the Moon as it revolves around the Earth, as seen from
above the north pole. Although sunlight illuminates half the Earth and half the moon at
all times, the moon’s orbit around the Earth affects how much of that sunlit part we can
see. The outer ring shows what we see on the Earth during each corresponding part of the
Moon’s orbit.
QUESTIONS AND FOLLOW-UP
The following are some questions and follow-ups you may use with your
class after the lunar observation sessions/forms are complete. This can take
the form of a class discussion or as questions to be answered verbally or on
paper by individual students.
1. How did the Moon appear to change night-to-night?
2. What was the youngest (thinnest crescent) you saw?
3. Was there anything near the Moon, like a bright star or planet?
4. Where in the sky was the 1st quarter moon when you observed it?
5. Where in the sky was the full moon when you observed it?
6. What were your problems (difficulties, challenges) in observing the
Moon?
7. What did you learn from this?
Sky’s
Up
Instructions:
Date & Time: Fill in the date and time, making sure to indicate AM or PM
Location: Note where you made the observations
Conditions: Note weather conditions at the time of your observation
Moon’s Shape: Using a pencil carefully shade the portion of the Moon that you do not see in the provided circle
1
Sky’s
Up
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