Phases of the Moon lab report

Megan Purgahn
Phases of the Moon and Planets Lab report
2/8/2016

Part 1: Phases of the Moon
The Moon must be in the 1st phase during a solar eclipse.
The Moon must be in the 5th phase during a lunar eclipse.

Part 2: Where is the Moon in the sky?
If the Moon is in 1st quarter, then it will rise at sunset.
If the Moon is in full moon phase, then the Moon will be on the meridian at sunrise.
If the phase is 1st quarter, then the Moon will set at sunset.
If the phase is new, then the Moon will be on the meridian at noon.
If the Full Moon is just setting in the west, then it is around 6 am.

Part 3: The Moon's rotation
Of the two different procedures that we used, the 2nd procedure is the one in which the Moon rotates with respect to the Sun.
The 2nd procedure describes the Moon's actual motion around the Earth, with the mark facing the Sun.
From the Earth's perspective, no the "dark" side is not always the same as the "hidden" side because we see part of the "hidden" side during certain phases, we just do not realize it.

Part 4: Phases of the planets
Inferior and superior planets do not have the same phases. Phases 1, 2, and 8 are different.
A superior planet will be the brightest at phase 1, because the Sun is shining on the whole side of the planet that the earth can see, and is closest to the Earth at that point.

Part 5: End of lab questions
No, a lunar and solar eclipse does not occur every time the Moon completes an orbit because the Earth and Moon are on different planes.
The number of days between a Full Moon and the Moon's orbit are different because the Earth moves too so the Moon has to go further in its orbit to be a Full Moon.
If a spaceship was following the Earth-Moon system, it would not see the same side of the Moon because at some points the Earth will be covering the spaceship's view of the Moon as the Moon orbits around it.
If Venus was always nearly between the Earth and the Sun then phase 5 would never occur for Venus because the Sun blocks Earth's view of venus.
Yes, a superior planet can be seen at midnight.
Mercury and Venus are inferior planets.
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn are superior planets.
Three things I learned during this lab are how to figure out what time the moon rises and sets, I learned that planets have phases too, and I also learned the names of the different phases and positions of the moon.
The point of this lab was to help us learn the phases of the moon and the positions and how to figure them out on our own.