Every two weeks, we have to look in the opposite direction to see the Moon, and the ground beneath our feet is then tilted the opposite way as well. The tilted ramp works the same as the tilted “platform” of the Earth beneath our feet. If you turn around, the horizon appears to tilt the opposite way. In front of you, the horizon looks higher on the right and lower on the left. Earth has a tilt of 23.5 degrees on its axis, which means that when we observe the Moon from Earth, it’s a little like we’re standing sideways on a ramp. The following concepts are taught: the cycle of seasons, goal setting, fatherly love, and predicting events. Purpose: This lesson teaches guided reading, and language arts. The tilt of the Moon’s orbit contributes to this, but it’s mostly due to the tilt of our Earth. Materials Needed: You’ll need a copy of Papa Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle. We call this motion “libration in latitude.”įinally, the Moon appears to tilt back and forth like a metronome. The 5 degree tilt of the Moon’s orbit also causes it to appear to nod, as though it were saying “yes.” The tilt sometimes brings the Moon above Earth’s northern hemisphere, and sometimes below Earth’s southern hemisphere, allowing us to see slightly more of the northern or southern hemispheres of the Moon. We call this motion “libration in longitude.” When the Moon is farthest from Earth and orbiting at its slowest, its rotation gets a little ahead, and we see a bit more of its western side. When the Moon is at its closest to Earth and moving most quickly along its orbital path, the Moon itself doesn’t rotate quite fast enough to keep entirely the same side facing us, and we get to see a little more of the eastern side of the Moon. The Moon’s rate of rotation around its own axis, though, always stays the same. Because the Moon's orbit is not perfectly circular, its distance from Earth and its speed in orbit both change slightly throughout the month.
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