View from earth first quarter View from earth waxing gibbous View from earth waxing crescent Quadrature View from earth full moon Actual Moon Conjunction Opposition Earth View from earth New moon Quadrature View from earth waning gibbous View from earth third quarter View from earth waning crescent Sun's Rays Lunar Phases and Configurations As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see varying portions of its sunlit side. The phases sketched here (outside the circle representing the Moon's orbit) show the Moon as it appears to an observer in the northern hemisphere. Figure by MIT OCW. Sun Earth Moon Solar Eclipse Umbra Sun Moon Penumbra Earth Lunar Eclipse Solar and Lunar Eclipses The relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon are shown at the times of solar (upper) and lunar (lower) eclipses. Only the dark portion of the shadow (the umbra) is shown in each case. (Not to scale) Figure by MIT OCW. Ecliptic Plane Sun Northern Winter Southern Summer Northern Summer Southern Winter Seasons The Earth's tilted axis retains its orientation as the Earth orbits the Sun. Thus, at opposite points in the orbit, each hemisphere has winter and summer, depending on whether that hemisphere is tipped towards the Sun or away from it. Figure by MIT OCW. N Arctic Circle Sun's Rays Tropic of Cancer 23.5o Equator Tropic of Capricorn Antarctic Circle S The Earth on June 22, the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Figure by MIT OCW.

Moon Phases and Seasons

of 4

Description

Free up your schedule!

Take 5 seconds to unlock