Activities for Tuesday, 4/13
The Moon
The Moon is our nearest celestial neighbor. It moves quietly through the sky as rises and sets with the stars, revealing the same side to us each night and charming us with its monthly waxing and waning patterns as it beams reflected sunlight toward Earth. When it is full, it can provide enough light for us to see at night and can even reflect enough light to create a "rainbow" in the darkness (called a moonbow). When it is new, the night can seem pitch black in the most rural locations. You can even see it dancing in the sky with the Sun during certain times of the month. Of all the bodies in the Solar System, we are most familiar with the Moon. It was "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" when Neil Armstrong first set foot on its surface in 1969.
Now, 52 years later, there is still a lot to discover about the Moon. You can start your journey of learning about the Moon with your family, from the comfort of your own home. We continue our star party on Day 2 by exploring our nearest celestial neighbor. We invite you to learn about the Moon as you simulate its phases, search for patterns on its surface, create your own lunar craters, sing, read, dance, and more!
Did you know?
The composition of the Moon is very similar to that of Earth but there are subtle differences. Scientists believe the Moon was formed when a giant body about the size of Mars crashed into the young Earth. This is called the Giant Impact Theory!
The Moon is about 1/4 the diameter of Earth, which makes it bigger than Pluto and about same diameter as the width of Australia!
The Moon does not have a significant atmosphere, meaning that there is no weather on the Moon to erode its surface. Therefore, the footprints of all of the astronauts and the tire tracks of all of our lunar rovers are still there today! While we are thinking about footprints, did you know that the famous image of the "first footprint on the Moon" did not actually show the print left by Neil Armstrong? It was actually one of the LAST bootprints left on the Moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts before they left the surface. It was actually left by Buzz Aldrin!
NASA has plans to sent the first woman and the next man to the Moon by the year 2024 as part of the Artemis mission! Discover more at https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/
Don't forget to share images of your star party activities and creations to our Padlet board - we would love to see them!
To Learn
Breakfast Moon - Written by Meg Gower
Have you every looked up at the Moon and thought it looked good enough to eat? In Breakfast Moon, Mae and her younger brother Arthur look at the changing shape of the Moon each morning and create a journal of their observations. The children use their observations to help them choose a breakfast to match the appearance of the Moon. What a fun idea! Perhaps your family can create a Moon journal like the one Mae and Arthur created and use it to help decide what to put on your plate! A recorded reading of the book and instructions for creating a Moon journal can be found here!
The Phases of the Moon
Did you know that one of the most common misconceptions in astronomy is what causes the phases of the Moon? To discover the reason for the changing appearance of the Moon, complete this activity as a family. All you need is a lightbulb and a ball!
Hint: Phases of the Moon are NOT caused by the shadow of Earth!
A detailed description of how to complete this activity and images of the 8 phases of the Moon can be accessed through the following links:
The Moon is made of ... Oreos?
Ever thought that the Moon looked like cheese? How about a chocolate sandwich cookie?
Now that you have discovered the true reason for the seasons through the simulation, try creating your own phases using chocolate sandwich cookies! Once you are done, you can eat the Moon. This is a great way to sneak some snacks into your Moon activities (or sneak the Moon into your snack time 😉!
Wallace and Gromit Search the Moon for Cheese
Maybe the moon is cheese!
Watch how Wallace's craving for cheese lead him and Gromit to a small picnic on the Moon.
It isn't any kind of cheese they've had before!
Sizing up the Moon
If the Moon were the size of a walnut, how big would the
Ever wondered how close the Moon is to us? It turns out our closest celestial neighbor is quite a ways away from us.
In this activity, you will learn the distance between our home and the Moon using Play-do and some string.
The Moon Song
Want to have a song stuck in your head for days? Look no further! Enjoy...the Moon song!
"These are the phases of the Moon, the Moon, the Moon!"
To Make
Make craters on the "Moon"
Want to make some of your own moon craters? Pour a layer of flour and cocoa powder and drop a ball into it to make craters on your kitchen pan. Using sand can also work if you plan to go outside!
Remember, the Moon's craters were made by the collisions between it and asteroids and comets in outer space. Perhaps using a rock like object would be more fitting in creating craters on your Moon like surface! make craters in flour and cocoa powder (single layer flour or sand)
Want to scale it up?
Go to extreme heights! What is the highest distance from which you can safely drop a marble into the flour?
Use bigger/more massive objects! Do think a basketball would make a larger crater than a marble?
Going to the beach? Try the experiment in the sand and share it with others!
What do you see in the Moon?
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...a bunny rabbit? What do you see when you look at the Moon?
You may first notice regions of two distinctly different color - the older, lightly-colored lunar highlands and the younger, darker lunar maria. When you take a closer look, your eyes may begin to make out shapes from the color patterns.
In this activity, we invite you to make a copy of the Moon image below, engage your imagination, grab a marker, and trace the shape of an object/animal that you see on the surface of the Moon.
Can you find the man in the Moon?
Do you see an adorable bunny rabbit hopping across the surface?
On Monday, we saw that the stories and legends of ancient cultures have been written in the sky. The same is true of the Moon! Over time, the patterns of light and dark on the surface of the Moon have been interpreted to mean different things to the people of different cultures. The "Toad in the Moon" activity, developed by our friends from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, introduces you to some of the stories and characters that have been developed throughout history.
Telescope
Want to build your very own telescope?
Here is a video on how to make your own with a few household items!
To Observe
Can you find the patterns you sketched?
On a clear night, look up to the moon and what do you see? Do you see the same patterns as you sketched? How about new patterns that you didn't see before?
Use your new telescope or phone to zoom into the moon and find the similarities with your first patterns.
Didn't make a telescope or don't have a good phone camera? No worries, get some binoculars and use one of its barrels as a telescope!
Astrosketching
I wonder what the astronomers of old used to record what they saw on the moon. Maybe they had cameras? No way. They used the ol' paper and pencil technique.
Grab some paper and a pencil and something with a flat surface such as a textbook and sit outside. Look up at the sky using a telescope or one of the barrels of your binoculars and draw what you can make out of the moon.
Congratulations, you just performed astrosketching!
Here's a good example of what you can draw.
Of course, draw what you see and find interesting!
In Summary
Next time you go outside, take the time to look up and really see our nearest celestial neighbor. Although the Moon may be a familiar object, there is still a lot that we can learn! Sometimes the brightest and most obvious objects are the most exciting to look at!
Here is your challenge:
Next time you are outside with a friend, look for the Moon in the sky and start a discussion. Perhaps your friend never noticed that the Moon can be seen during the day. Or, maybe they've never thought about the phases or looked carefully enough to find the giant rabbit on the face of the Moon! If you are inspired, you may challenge them to search for patterns by creating their very own Moon journal (as in the activity on this page). However you wish to explore, don't be afraid to dream big. As the saying goes, "Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
Don't forget to connect with others by sharing your memories on our Padlet board!