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Moon Phases/Eclipses
Moon Phases/Eclipses/Tides/Seasons
Term | Definition |
---|---|
rotation | the spin of a body on its axis |
revolution | to orbit or go around another object |
moon phases | the change in sunlit area of the Moon as seen from Earth |
waxing | the sunlit portion we see from Earth is increasing or getting larger |
waning | the sunlit portion we see from Earth is decreasing or getting smaller |
eclipse | an event in which the shadow of one celestial body falls on another |
tides | the periodic rise and fall of the water level in the oceans and other large bodies of water that are caused mostly by the gravitational pull of the Moon and less by the Sun. |
seasons | occur because the Earth is tilted on its axis at 23.5 degrees. |
solar eclipse | the temporary blockage of sunlight by the Moon as it travels between Earth and the Sun |
lunar eclipse | when the moon passes directly behind the Earth and into its shadow |
spring tide | a type of tide that occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth are in a straight line; alignment and gravity from the moon and the sun pull the water in the same direction |
neap tide | produced when the sun, moon, and Earth align at a 90° angle; the water on Earth is under the least amount of gravitational pull, because the sun's and moon's forces are opposing each other, producing the smallest rise and fall of tidal levels |