Moon

Say what the Moon will look like, how high it will ride, and when it will be eclipsed.

8 guides · about 50 min

A line runs from a guide to the guides that build on it.

1. 1. The Moon's Month 6 min Why does a thin evening crescent grow into a full Moon?

   You’ll be able to say what phase the Moon will be at, and when it will be up.

   Leads to

   Eclipses, The Moon's Houses (Sky Cultures)

   Begin
2. 2. Not Earth's Shadow 5 min Is the dark part of the Moon the Earth's shadow?

   You’ll be able to explain why the Moon has phases without the Earth’s shadow, and say when the shadow does reach it.

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3. 3. The Moon by Day, and Its One Face 5 min Why is the Moon so often up in a blue afternoon sky?

   You’ll be able to find the Moon in a daytime sky, and explain why it shows one face.

   Begin
4. 4. Supermoon Seasons 5 min Why do supermoons nearly always come in threes?

   You’ll be able to say when the next run of supermoons comes, and why they arrive in threes.

   Begin
5. 5. The Moon Illusion 5 min Why does the rising Moon look so big?

   You’ll be able to say why the rising Moon looks big, and show that it is not.

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6. 6. Eclipses 10 min When is the next eclipse you can see from home?

   You’ll be able to say why eclipses line up as they do, and when you can next see one from home.

   Builds on

   • The Moon's Month. An eclipse is a new Moon or a full Moon, the phases of The Moon’s Month.

   Leads to

   Eclipse Seasons

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7. 7. Eclipse Seasons 9 min The Moon passes the Sun every month, so why so rarely in front of it?

   You’ll be able to say when the next eclipse season comes, and why there is not an eclipse every month.

   Builds on

   • The Ecliptic · Sun and Calendar. It uses “ecliptic”, which The Ecliptic explains.
   • Eclipses. It says when the eclipses of the last guide can happen.

   Leads to

   The Moon's 18.6-Year Swing

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8. 8. The Moon's 18.6-Year Swing 5 min Why does the Moon swing five degrees past the Sun’s limits in some years?

   You’ll be able to say why the Moon rides higher in some years than in others.

   Builds on

   • Eclipse Seasons. The 18.6-year swing is the slow turn of the nodes from Eclipse Seasons.

   Begin

From other paths

Guides on this path build on these.

• The Ecliptic · Sun and Calendar · 8 min It uses “ecliptic”, which The Ecliptic explains.