Why is the moon considered a satellite of Earth? A. It orbits Earth. B. It pulls Earth toward it. C. It keeps Earth on its orbit. D. It affects the tides on Earth. 5. It takes the Moon about one month to orbit around Earth. This causes the Moon to appear as different shapes in the night sky. These shapes are called the blank of the Moon. A. changes B. phases C. Crescents D. Views 6. Why does the moon have different phases? A. It moves around the sun. B. It follows the sun. C. It moves around Earth. D. Its surface experiences seasons
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Here are the correct answers:
4. A. It orbits Earth.
5. B. Phases
6. C. It moves around Earth.
Explanation
The Moon is considered a satellite of Earth because it orbits Earth. A satellite is any object that travels around a planet in space. While there are artificial satellites made by humans, the Moon is a natural satellite because it was not created by humans but formed naturally. Its gravitational bond with Earth keeps it in orbit, which is why we see it traveling across the sky each night.
As the Moon orbits Earth, we do not always see the same part of its surface lit by the Sun. The portion of the Moon that is illuminated by sunlight changes based on the positions of the Moon, Earth, and Sun. These changing appearances are known as the phases of the Moon. The main phases are new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter. Between these main phases, there are additional phases such as waxing crescent and waning gibbous. The complete cycle from one new moon to the next takes about one month or approximately 29.5 days.
The reason we see these different phases is that the Moon is constantly moving around Earth, and the angle between the Sun, Earth, and Moon changes throughout the month. Depending on this angle, different parts of the Moon’s surface are lit by sunlight and visible from Earth. This explains why we see different shapes or “phases” of the Moon in the night sky.
Although the Moon affects Earth in other ways, such as influencing the tides due to its gravity, the defining reason it is a satellite is because it revolves around Earth. Its orbit is also responsible for the changing phases that we observe over the course of a month.
