I took some pictures of the eclipse and it got me thinking... Whenever I teach students about the Moon phases I try to demonstrate that they are not caused by the shadow of the Earth. The Earth casts a round shadow on the Moon so how could it make a gibbous Moon? It's impossible - the dark part is curved the wrong way. In fact when I ask students to draw a gibbous Moon and they give me an eclipsed Moon - ouch, I give them double-points off!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
LUNAR ECLIPSE VS. GIBBOUS MOON
On the morning of June 4, 2012 there was a partial lunar eclipse only visible in the western United States. As chance would happen, I was visiting Flagstaff, Arizona in route to see the Transit of Venus the very next day. What an added bonus to be able to see a lunar eclipse followed by a Transit of Venus all within a 36-hour span!
Labels:
2012,
Arizona,
Flagstaff,
Gibbous,
June 4,
Lunar Eclipse,
Moon,
Moon Phases,
Partial Lunar Eclipse