The First Quarter Moon
Maui astronomer Harriet Witt describes the First Quarter Moon and brings you out into space, so you can see how lunar phases work. So take sometime out of your busy day, take a deep breath, and let Harriet bring you on a journey through the night sky.
Listen here [4:24m]:
What’s the facts:
It is called the First Quarter Moon, because that is what the moon looks like to us here on Earth (1/4 of a big round ball). To us, it seems as though the stars, the planets, and the moon, change throughout time, but really, we are turning, taking a different view of the night sky as we do. Our lunar phases are relative to the Sun (our source of light), and changes as the moon follows its orbit around the Earth, and the Earth spins and follows its orbit around the Sun. It’s pretty complicated once you think about it!
Original air date 22 July 2009.
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