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Blog #1 – Observing the moon
As a part of one of the courses I took last semester, we observed the phenomenon of the phases of the moon. We were instructed to record what the moon looked like for one month, noting which area of the moon was illuminated at what time. When the data collection process was completed and we all examined our observation papers, we were struck with multiple questions about why the moon looked like what we saw.
For example, one of the phenomenons regarding the phases of the moon that came up in our discussion was why the moon seemed to rise approximately an hour later each day. After creating multiple models and filling in the blanks of areas we were uncertain of, we came to a conclusion that it strongly had to do with the fact that the Moon takes less time to complete a full orbit compared to Earth. Because the Moon takes around one month (or 30 days) to rotate the Earth, it means that it moves approximately 10 degrees each day. With this movement, it takes longer for the Earth to ‘catch up to’ the moon’s orbit and therefore has to rotate more for the Moon to be visible from the same location. This difference, is around one hour.
This event was particularly interesting because it allowed me to view the phenomenon, gain curiosity about it, and find answers to our questions as a “scientist” would do.
Another phenomenon of the moon that I still do not have the answer to that I would like to know more about is the perception of the moon. Looking at other people’s data, it seemed like the way the moon looked like differed depending on the person. For instance, one student saw a crescent moon where the bottom right side was illuminated. However, another student saw a crescent moon illuminating the upper right side the same day and similar time. The way in which the moon’s illuminated portion seemed to rotate depending on the person was very mysterious and interesting to me.
Image of the phases of the moon through a one month cycle from Penn State The image above is a calendar showing the estimated phases of the moon in the span of one month. It was an interest finding for me that despite having a concrete estimate, the way the moon looks like may not accurately reflect the calendar depending on how you perceive it, where you are looking at the moon from, and the time.
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lulu and lolo The image above are two characters called Lulu and Lolo. They are tiny twin bears. Lulu and Lolo resonate with me to a great extent because I am also a twin that is relatively short in height.
I have a strong passion for dancing, and am involved in two dance teams on campus. There is a video uploaded on YouTube of my most recent showcase performed last semester. There are more upcoming showcases and performances this semester so I would love to have more people come watch!
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