1. Phases & Eclipses

2. Let's look at the moon.

3. The terminator is the moving boundary between day and night. Notice that it moves right to left. The moon does not make its own light. We see it because it reflects light from the sun.

4. Daytime on the moon Night on the moon Terminator

5. Phases of the moon are caused by the angle between the earth, moon, and sun.

6. Lunar Phase animation Another animation Video clip on phases Notice that the terminator is moving right to left.

7. Waxing means getting bigger every night. Waning means getting smaller every night. Crescent means less than half the surface of the moon facing you is lit by the sun. Gibbous means more than half of the surface of the moon facing you is lit by the sun.

8. Review this diagram and name the phases on the following slides!

9. Waning crescent

10. Waxing gibbous

11. Waxing crescent

12. Last quarter

13. Waning crescent

14. Waning gibbous

15. First quarter

16. Eclipses - are named by which object's light is being blocked from your view! Two kinds: Lunar eclipses Solar eclipses Video clip on eclipses

17. Lunar eclipse

18. Eclipse animation

19. Time lapse photography of a lunar eclipse

20. Animation of solar eclipse

21. Diamond ring effect just before or after a total solar eclipse.

22. This animation shows the relative sizes of the partial and total eclipse areas. The small, black dot is the umbra. You can see why not many people ever see a total eclipse.

23. This is a space shuttle photograph of an area of the Earth having a total solar eclipse.

24. Types of eclipses Link to NASA eclipse page Be sure to scroll down for a list of upcoming eclipses.