The Earth, Moon & Sun Mind Map

← The Earth, Moon & Sun

How the positions and motions of Earth, the moon, and the sun cause moon phases, eclipses, and tides.

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- - orbitThe curved path of one object around another in space, maintained by gravity.The moon’s orbit around Earth takes about a month.
  - revolutionOne full trip of an object around another object.One revolution of Earth around the sun is a year.
  - rotationSpinning around a center line.Earth’s rotation causes day and night.
  - gravitational forceThe pull that objects with mass have on each other.The moon’s gravitational force pulls on Earth’s oceans.
- - moon phaseThe shape of the lit part of the moon that we see from Earth.Tonight’s moon phase is a thin crescent.
  - waxingGetting bigger. The lit part of the moon we see is growing.The moon is waxing, so tomorrow it will look brighter.
  - waningGetting smaller. The lit part of the moon we see is shrinking.After the full moon, the moon starts waning.
  - new moonThe phase when the moon is between Earth and the sun, so we see none of its lit side.The sky was extra dark during the new moon.
  - waxing crescentA phase when less than half of the Moon’s visible face is sunlit and the lit fraction is increasing.A waxing crescent appears in the evening sky after sunset.
  - first quarterA phase when half of the Moon’s visible face is sunlit and the lit fraction is increasing.At first quarter, the moon looks like a half circle.
  - waxing gibbousMore than half of the moon’s face is lit, and the lit part is growing.A waxing gibbous moon rose in the afternoon.
  - full moonThe phase when we see the whole lit side of the moon.The full moon lit up the backyard.
  - waning gibbousMore than half of the moon’s face is lit, and the lit part is shrinking.A waning gibbous moon was still up at breakfast.
  - third quarterA phase when half of the Moon’s visible face is sunlit and the lit fraction is decreasing; also called last quarter.At third quarter, the moon rises around midnight.
  - waning crescentA phase when less than half of the Moon’s visible face is sunlit and the lit fraction is decreasing.A waning crescent shows up just before sunrise.
- - solar eclipseWhen the moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks the sun’s light.In 2024, a total solar eclipse crossed Ohio.
  - lunar eclipseWhen Earth passes between the sun and the moon and Earth’s shadow covers the moon.During a lunar eclipse, the moon can look red.
  - umbraThe darkest, center part of a shadow, where all of the light is blocked.People in the moon’s umbra saw a total eclipse.
  - penumbraThe lighter outer part of a shadow, where only some light is blocked.People in the penumbra saw only a partial eclipse.
- - tideThe regular rise and fall of the ocean’s surface, caused mostly by the moon’s pull.At low tide, we found shells on the wet sand.
  - spring tideA tide with extra-high high tides and extra-low low tides. It happens when the sun, moon, and Earth line up.A spring tide happens at new moon and full moon.
  - neap tideA tide with the smallest difference between high and low water. It happens at the quarter moons.During a neap tide, the water barely rises.