The Sun-Earth-Moon
System
● The Sun, Earth, and Moon
Relationship
● Students will be able to explain the
relationship between the sun, Earth,
and moon.
● Students will be able to define
rotation, revolution, orbit, and axis.
● Students will be able to identify the
cause of day and night, and the
cause of the seasons.
The Sun-Earth-
Moon System
● The sun is a star, the Earth is a
planet, and the Moon is a natural
satellite.
● The Earth revolves around the sun
in a slightly elliptical orbit.
● The Moon revolves around the
Earth in an elliptical orbit.
● The sun is the center of the solar
system and provides light and heat
to Earth.
● Earth's rotation on its axis causes
day and night.
● The Moon's revolution around Earth
causes moon phases.
Astronomical Unit
● Unit of length roughly equal to the
distance between Earth and Sun
● Approximately 150 million
kilometers (93 million miles)
● Used to measure distances within
our solar system
Cause of the Seasons
● Earth's axis is tilted at approximately 23.5
degrees.
● This tilt causes different parts of Earth to
receive varying amounts of direct sunlight
throughout the year.
● When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted
towards the sun, it experiences summer.
● When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away
from the sun, it experiences winter.
● The Southern Hemisphere experiences the
opposite seasons as the Northern
Hemisphere.
The Equinox 01 Occurs twice a year, 03 Earth's axis is tilted
around March 20th neither toward nor
and September 23rd. away from the sun.
02 Day and night are of 04 The circle of
approximately equal illumination passes
length everywhere through the North
on Earth. and South Poles.
The Solstice
● Occurs twice a year, around June 21st
and December 21st
● Earth's axis is tilted most towards the
sun in the hemisphere experiencing
summer
● The circle of illumination passes
through either the Tropic of Cancer or
the Tropic of Capricorn
● Summer solstice is the longest day of
the year and winter solstice is the
shortest day of the year
The Sun's Tidal Influence
01 The Sun's 03 Tidal bulge is on
gravity pulls on the side of Earth
Earth's oceans, facing the Sun,
creating a tidal and the side
bulge. facing away.
02 Sun's influence 04 The Sun's tidal
on tides is most force is weaker
noticeable than the Moon's
during spring tidal force.
tides.
Formation of the Moon
01 The Moon formed about
4.51 billion years ago, not
long after Earth.
The leading theory is that the Moon
02 formed from debris left over after a
giant impact between Earth and a
Mars-sized body called Theia.
03 The debris from this impact
collected in an orbit around
Earth to form the Moon.
The Moon's Influence
on Earth
● The Moon's gravitational pull
causes tides on Earth.
● Tides are the rise and fall of
sea levels.
● The Moon's gravity also
stabilizes Earth's axial tilt.
● This stabilization helps
maintain a consistent climate.
Synchronous Rotation
● The Moon is in synchronous
rotation with Earth.
● One side of the Moon always
faces Earth.
● The same side of the Moon is
always visible from Earth.
● The far side of the Moon was first
seen in 1959 by a Soviet
spacecraft.
Phases of the ● The Moon orbits Earth, and we see the
illuminated portion from different angles.
Moon ● New Moon: Moon is between Earth and Sun,
illuminated side faces away from Earth.
● Waxing Crescent: A crescent shape appears as
the illuminated area we see grows.
● First Quarter: Half the illuminated portion is
visible.
● Waxing Gibbous: More than half is visible,
shape between a half moon and full moon.
● Full Moon: Moon is on opposite side of Earth
from Sun, illuminated side faces Earth.
● Waning Gibbous: More than half is visible,
shape between a full moon and half moon.
Solar and Lunar Eclipses
01 Occurs when the 03 Can be total,
Moon passes
partial, or
between the Sun
annular.
and Earth, casting
a shadow on Earth.
02 The Moon's 04 Total solar
shadow consists eclipses are
of the umbra, rare and occur
penumbra, and only in a narrow
antumbra. path.
Let's Discuss!
● What causes the different
seasons on Earth?
● How does the Moon's
gravity affect Earth?
● What are the different
phases of the Moon and
what causes them?