NOTE that for Activity 3, you need at least 4 different observations of differnt phases. Observations should be no less than 3-4 days apart. More is better, but you need at least 4. Please see below for an observing log you can use.

A description of the Moon phases and when and where to look for them is below:

	New Moon The New Moon is so close in line with the Sun that it cannot be seen at all. The graphic here shows it as a faint outline, but in fact you cannot see it at all. New Moon means "No Moon." It rises with the Sun in the east and sets with it in the west. If you can observe the Moon at all, it is not a New Moon. A few days before New Moon, you can see a thin crescent in the east just before sunrise. A few days after New Moon you can see a thin crescent in the west shortly after sunset. (Although you can't use a "New Moon" as one of your observations, it is perfectly fine to report a Crescent Moon.) The crescent Moon before sunrise is called a "Waning Crescent Moon," and after sunset it is called a "Waxing Crescent Moon." This later phase progresses toward First Quarter.
	Waxing Crescent Moon This is the Crescent Moon seen between New Moon and First Quarter Moon. It is seen for anywhere in the West to Southwest sky from a few minutes to a few hours after sunset. Sometimes it is described as a "thumbnail" or "sickle" shape. "Waxing" means that it is getting bigger and brighter with each successive night.
	First Quarter Moon The First Quarter Moon occurs about a week after New Moon, rising at about mid-day and setting at about midnight. It can be seen in the evening, but not in the morning. You can see this Moon in broad daylight, in the east or southeast in the afternoon. By sunset, it is high in the southern sky. It is shaped somewhat like the letter "D," which is more or less on its back when rising, upright when it is in the southern sky, and turned with the curved side down when it is near to setting in the west or southwest. It is a "quarter" Moon because all you see is one quarter of the Moon's surface (you have to count the back side, too).
	Waxing Gibbous Moon This phase is between First Quarter and Full Moon. It can be seen in the Southeast to South sky at sunset, and progresses farther West as the night goes on. It sets typically from a couple hours after midnight until just before sunrise. "Gibbous" means that it appears outwardly curved on both sides (it is "humped" on both sides), but is not yet full.
	Full Moon With the Full Moon you see all of the visible side of the Moon. In the sense that the quarter moons are only quarters, this Moon is really a half Moon! [Although you see the full side of the Moon toward us illuminated, that's just half the Moon -- the other half is on the other side!] You will see it rising in the East at about sunset, high in the South at midnight, and setting in the West at about sunrise. The exact orientation of features depends on where it is in the sky. This depiction shows the Full Moon as it would appear high in the southern sky, at roughly midnight. The Moon may appear completely full a day or two before the exact time of the phase, or a day or two afterwards.
	Waning Gibbous Moon This phase is between Full Moon and Last Quarter Moon. It can be seen in the East to Southeast sky not long after midnight, and progresses farther West as the night goes on. It sets typically a few hours after sunrise. As with the Waxing Gibbous Moon, it is outwardly curved on both sides. "Waning" means that it is getting smaller and less full with each successive night.
	Last Quarter Moon The Last Quarter Moon is often called the Third Quarter Moon. It rises at about midnight and can be seen in the predawn sky. It is high in the South at sunrise, and can be seen for a time in the Southwest even after sunrise. It sets at about noon the following day. Its shape is like that of a backwards letter "D."
	Waning Crescent Moon This is the Crescent Moon seen between Last Quarter Moon and the next New Moon. It is seen in the East to Southeast sky up to a few hours before sunrise. It looks pretty much the mirror image of the Waxing Crescent Moon, but in the morning eastern sky..

The Observing Log

Copyright 2011 by Final Copy, Inc. All rights reserved. This activity may be reproduced for classroom use, but may not be republished in any form, or used in any profit-making activity without express written consent.

Final Copy, Inc.