Applet: The Phases of the Moon

Module 3: The Earth and the Moon

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Using the Applet:

This applet has been designed to help students visualize the phases of the Moon.

The key to understanding the phases of the Moon lies in the arrangement of the Sun, Moon and Earth. Half of the Moon is always lit by the Sun, but the lunar phase will change depending on where the Moon is in its orbit.

To review the phases of the moon, Click Here.

It is important to remember that this is a two-dimensional model, and eclipses do not occur in each orbit because the Moon's orbit is slightly tilted. For more information about eclipses, refer to the Solar and Lunar Eclipses Applet .