Lunar Phases
Student Page
Purpose
To study the relationships among lunar phases, lunar sky location, and observing time.
Before you Begin
If it were noon at your location, in approximately which direction would you look to find
a first quarter Moon?
A.J.J.A.R. Programs Required
Simple Lunar Phases Application
Another Lunar Phases Application
Questions
1. At the first quarter Moon, does the Moon appear to the left or to the right of the Sun?
2. During what lunar phase or phases does the Sun-Earth-Moon line form a right
triangle?
3. What lunar phases can never be seen when the observer’s time is midnight?
4. What lunar phases can be seen when the observer’s time is noon?
5. If you looked at the eastern horizon and saw the full Moon just rising in the east, in
what direction would you look to see the Sun?
6. You are planning to do some evening ocean sailing some time in the near future.
Because of scheduling conflicts, the only time that you can sail is 9:00 p.m. Since
you would like to have the Moon in the sky to help you navigate, what phases could
the Moon be?
7. Configure the simulation for an observer’s time of midnight and a full lunar phase.
The current view is for someone in the Northern Hemisphere. Where would the
Moon be found in the sky if the simulation were suddenly switched to the Southern
