Overview
This investigation requires you to keep records of when and at what altitude you see the moon in the sky.  You will also be making observations as the position of the sun as it compares to the moon. (setting, rising, somewhere in between). You will make and record your observation for a number of weeks.  Then you will look for patterns in your observation and explain the patterns by using what you know about the orbit around the Earth and Earth's rotation.  To help keep your observation organized, you need to record the following information:

1.  Date: Record the calendar date (May 8, 2009)

2.  Time of observation: For this project, you should try to make at least one observation per day at the same time.

3.  Moon visible:  Try to make your observations from a place where you can see the sky in all directions.  If you can see the moon, determine it altitude and appearance.   Write this information on the data sheet shown below.  If you do not see the moon, the reason might be that the moon is not above the horizon, or that it is hidden behind clouds.  If the sky is too cloudy to tell whether the moon is above the horizon, record that information on your data sheet.

4.  Position:  The moon travels a path through the sky as it it were an object moving on a dome over Earth.  Any position on the can be describe by its altitude above the horizon. 

Altitude normally measures how high an object is above the ground.  For very distant objects, a more useful way to record position in the sky is to measure the altitude in term of degrees above the horizon.  When an object is on the horizon, its altitude is zero degrees (0^o).  When an object is directly overhead, its altitude is 90^o .  You can easily estimate altitude in degrees.  Face in the direction of the moon, make a fist, and hold it straight out at arm's length, thumb side up.  Count how many fists above the horizon the moon is.  One fist above the horizon is about 10^o, two fists are about 20^o, and so on.

5.  Appearance: Mark a sketch of the moon by shading the part you can not see of the moon in the circle.  As you study in the circle to show the moon by shading in the circle.  As you shade in the circle to show the moon's phase, try to sketch any slant or tilt of the bright part of the moon.  When you are finished, the white part of your circle  should look like the bright portion of the moon that you observed.

INVESTIGATION RULES

• Record observations every day

• Make observations at least once a day.  Try to schedule the same time for each night that would be easy for you to remember.  Make sure you will be able to view the moon.

• Record all of the data listed in the table on Worksheet  Moon Observation Data Also use the worksheet to record any notes about your observation.

• After all observation data has been recorded, analyze the data.

• The best site for viewing the moon will have the night sky visible in all directions

• Try to find an observation site that is away from bright lights so that you can see the stars on a clear night.  This will allow you to determine whether the sky is cloudy

1.  Moon observation begun                                        May 8, 2009                _________

2.  Observation completed                                           June 7, 2009               _________

3.  Data analyzed                                                         June 11, 2009             _________
(this is the time to ask questions)
4.  Turn in project.                                                       June 13, 2009             _________
 
 
 
 
 

WORKSHEET  (Print landscape)

MOON  OBSERVATION DATA SHEET
 

Date	Time: moon rising	Time: moon setting	Moon Visible (yes or no)	Time of viewing appearance	Altitude (degrees)	Appearance (sketch)	Location of Sun in relation to the moon ( ie sun rising time sun setting time)	Notes (observation - i.e. cloudy sky or clear but not visible)
5/8		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.