The earth and the moon

2. THE EARTH
• The Earth moves
around the sun
in a path like a
circle that has
been pulled a
little at both
ends. This
shape is called
an ellipse.

3. • The path Earth takes
around the sun is called its
orbit. As Earth orbits the
sun, it rotates, or spins on
its axis.
• The axis is an imaginary
line that passes through
Earth’s center and its North
and South Poles.

4. • The Earth’s rotation is what causes
day and night. When a place on
Earth faces the sun, it is day in that
place. When that place faces away
from the sun, it is night.

5. THE MOON
• The Moon is the Earth’s only natural
satellite. It revolves around the Earth and
on its own axis. The same side of the
moon always faces Earth.

6. • When we see the moon at night, it’s
because sunlight is reflected off its
surface, the moon does not generate
light.
• As the moon orbits Earth, its
position in the sky changes. This
produces the different shapes, or
phases, of the moon we see each
month.

7. Solar and Lunar Eclipses
• An eclipse occurs when one
object passes through the shadow
of another.
• There are seven eclipses- two
lunar and five solar- in a single
year.

8. A solar eclipse occurs when Earth
passes through a new moon’s
shadow.

9. A lunar eclipse occurs when the full
moon passes through Earth’s
shadow.

10. The Moon’s Surface
• Lunar landforms include craters, maria, ray
craters, rifles, highlands, and volcanic domes.
• The word maria is Latin for “seas”; they are
really areas of hardened lava.
• Ray craters are thought to be new craters.

11. REVIEW
( Please use the mouse for the review section…)
1. What is the name of the path that
Earth takes around the sun?
orbit ellipse
A B
C D
None of the
above
cycle

12. Sorry, that is not
correct…
TRY AGAIN!

13. That is
CORRECT!

14. REVIEW
2. What causes day and night on
Earth?
the moon eclipses
A B
C D
none of the
above
the Earth’s
rotation

15. That is
CORRECT!

16. REVIEW
3. What kind of eclipse occurs when
the full moon passes through
Earth’s shadow?
total lunar
A B
solar all of the above
C D

17. That is
CORRECT!

18. REVIEW
4. What are areas of hardened
lava on the surface of the
moon called?
A B
craters ray craters
C D
none of the
above
rifles

19. That is
CORRECT!

20. Works Cited…
• www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/
solarsystem/sun/solareclipse.shtml
• www.office.microsoft.com/clipart
• Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002.
© 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation.