Predicting When and Where to Look for the Moon

Now we are going to use the geometry that we just reviewed to predict when and where we should look for the moon. It will be a lot easier to see the moon, if we have an idea of where and when to be looking.

We want to predict when the moon will rise, be high in the sky, and set for each phase. Assume that we are at the equinox, when the number of hours of day light equal the number of hours of darkness. We also will assume that the sun rises about 6 am, is high in the sky at noon, and sets at 6 pm.

In small groups have them create a chart and fill it in with three moon phases.

The chart should include:

• phase name
• shape
• stick figure
• angle
• rising time
• high in the sky
• Setting time

Group 1: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter

Group 2: first quater, waxing gibbous, full

Group 3: full, waning gibbous, third quarter

Group 4: third quarter, waning crescent, new

Have each group share with the class after their chart has been filled in.