Overview

You have spent time in class learning about the phases of the Moon, when different phases rise and set and various other interesting things. Now you will put it all in a poster to teach others about the Moon. Here are the requirements for the poster:

1. The poster must be accurate and complete. All of the information we have learned in class must be included.
2. You must illustrate your poster in a way that makes the concepts you have learned as clear as possible for people who know little or nothing about the Moon.
3. The poster should be as creative as possible, make it attractive and readable.

The information you must include on your poster includes the following, which we have discussed extensively in class:

1. The phases of the Moon; name them and give their shapes
• The order of the phases must be correct
2. The relative positions of the Earth, Sun and Moon for each phase
   • Make clear that one half of the Moon is always lit by the Sun and that the phases are caused by the different angles at which we view the Moon throughout its orbit of the Earth
3. The rising and setting times for each phase
4. Identify the dark side of the Moon not as the side which is never lit by the Sun (there is no such thing) but as the side never seen by observers on Earth
5. Explain the fact that we only see one side of the Moon by describing the fact that the Moon’ orbital period (its “year”) and its rotational period (its “day”) are exactly the same length: 27.3 days
6. The Moon’s orbital period is 27.3 days but the period between two New Moon phases is 29.5 days; explain this using the apparent motion of the Sun in the sky as the Earth orbits the Sun; the Moon has to catch up to the Sun in the sky in order to be New again

The best five posters in the class will be placed on display in my room as examples for the next group of Astronomy students. This poster is worth a quiz grade.