Week 1: Sun, Earth, and the Moon
What did you do in lab today? In lab, we were given an earth, moon, and green laser that represented a geometrical plane. We explored what causes the phases of the moon, what causes seasons, and what causes a lunar eclipse. We used the materials given to help us visualize and answer these questions. I learned that seasons are based on direct sunlight; not necessarily how close the earth is to the sun but the amount of direct sunlight the earth gets. For example, when the tropic of cancer is hit by direct sunlight, it will be summer. Additionally, I learned that the moon takes about 28 days to make a full orbit around the earth. Lastly, I learned that a lunar eclipse occurs when the earth is directly between the sun and the moon. What was the big question? The big question we were trying to answer is the relationship between the sun, earth, and moon. What did you learn in Thursday’s discussion? These are my notes and what I lear...