Modeling-Eclipses-Lab.docx

Lab: Modeling Eclipses A. Begin with the string parallel to the cardboard. Using a diffuse, bright light such as the Sun or a projector beam, place the model so that the Moon is closest to the light, and Earth is farthest away. The Sun, Earth, and Moon should be perfectly aligned so that they all fall in the same line. Observe the shadow that falls onto a piece of paper held vertically just beyond Earth. a. Where does Earth’s shadow appear? What does it look like? b. Where does the Moon’s shadow appear? What does it look like? c. Identify any similarities and differences between Earth’s and the Moon’s shadows. d. Create a sketch below showing what this setup looks like from a side-view of the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. Include a sketch of how the shadows are produced and where they fall. Label each object. 1

e. Create a sketch below show what this setup looks like from a top view of the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. Include a sketch of how the shadows are produced and where they fall. Label each object. f. What is the phase of the Moon during a solar eclipse? Explain how you know. B. You might be aware that it is fairly rare to see a total solar eclipse. (Total solar eclipses can only be observed at the same location about every 375 years, with typically 2 total solar eclipses visible at some point on Earth each year). Elaborate on one or two possible reasons why you might not see total solar eclipses each month. 2

As was noted in the previous exercise, total solar eclipses do not occur each time there is a New Moon. This is due, in part, to the fact that the Moon does not lie on the same plane as the Sun and Earth (the Plane of the Ecliptic ). Each month, the Moon passes through the Plane of the Ecliptic at an angle of 5° above and below. In exercise X.1, the string was parallel to the cardboard, and Earth and the Moon were both in the Plane of the Ecliptic. In Exercise X.2, you will make the Moon go above and below the Plane of the Ecliptic. Exercise X.2 A. Push and pull on the nail representing the Moon, so that the string is no longer parallel to the cardboard. Orient the Moon so that its shadow appears to the left of Earth (when observing the shadows on a piece of paper, like in the diagrams below). Slowly rotate the system so that the Moon’s shadow moves toward the right. Observe how this changes the shadows produced on the paper. Draw the progression of the projected images seen on the paper for the following scenarios. 3 Credit: NASA

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