AST101H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Tidal Locking, Ashen Light, Shadow Falls

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST101H1
• Professor: Michael Reid

Document Summary

Earth"s daily rotation makes the moon appear to rise in the east and set in the west each day. Why do we see phases of the moon? (figure 2. 22) The phases from new to full are said to be waxing, which means increasing. phases from full to new are waning, or decreasing. The phases just before and after new moon are called crescent, while those just before and after full moon are called gibbous. A gibbous moon is essentially the opposite of a crescent moon- a crescent moon has a small sliver of light while a gibbous moon has a small sliver of dark. From earth we always see the same face of the moon. This happens because the moon rotates on its axis in the same amount of time that it takes to orbit earth, a trait called synchronous rotation. The moon"s synchronous rotation is not a coincidence; rather, it is a consequence of.