Moons and Stars
The Moon
Phases of the Moon:
- New Moon: The moon is between the Earth and the Sun, and the side facing Earth is not illuminated.
- Waxing Crescent: A sliver of the moon becomes visible after the new moon.
- First Quarter: Half of the moon is illuminated.
- Waxing Gibbous: More than half is illuminated.
- Full Moon: The entire face of the moon is illuminated.
- Waning Gibbous: After the full moon, the illumination decreases.
- Last Quarter: Again, half of the moon is illuminated.
- Waning Crescent: The sliver of illumination decreases until it’s a new moon again.
The Stars
Constellations:
- Orion: One of the most recognizable constellations, representing a hunter in mythology.
- Ursa Major: Known for the Big Dipper asterism, it points to the North Star.
- Cassiopeia: Recognizable by its W-shaped pattern.
Star Types:
- Main Sequence Stars: Like our sun, these are stars in the stable phase of their life cycle.
- Red Giants: Stars that have expanded and cooled, often appearing reddish.
- White Dwarfs: The remnants of medium-sized stars that have shed their outer layers.
Astronomical Events:
- Meteor Showers: When Earth passes through the debris left by comets, creating beautiful displays of shooting stars.
- Eclipses: When the moon passes between Earth and the sun (solar eclipse) or Earth's shadow covers the moon (lunar eclipse).
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