Back to All Events

AstroNights LIVE: Our Neighbor, the Moon

Friday, May 29, 7:00pm 

Presentation: 30 minutes, followed by Q+A, recommended for: ages 6+

View the recording on Youtube: https://youtu.be/PV50_FvSAsk

Recording will also be available on our youtube channel after the event.

About AstroNights:

Join us at 7:00pm on select Fridays for a half-hour presentation exploring everyone’s favorite astronomy topics. From the colorful characters in our own solar system to the weird and wonderful things far beyond, each program is sure to contain something of interest to armchair astronomers of all ages. Click here for more information about past AstroNights events, including how to access recordings.

Resources

The links below include resources mentioned during the program, suggested follow-up activities, and more!

Moon Journal a simple printable template for making daily moon observations, with a few guiding questions. Adults/Parents: remember that the Moon rises and sets each day at a different time each day (see Moon Rise times, below). If you want to get started right away with a young learner, here’s a super-simplified version. It assumes you will start on First Quarter Moon, May 29.

Moon Rise Times from TimeAndDate.com find out when the Moon will rise, set, and cross your meridian (be directly overhead). Also see the phases and distance from Earth. This guide takes some patience to read and understand.

International Observe the Moon Night - great resources for this annual event. We especially like all the fun activities and useful Moon FAQs bundled in the Activity Guide!

High-resolution visualizations of the Moon’s phases from NASA’s SVS. The primary visualization reveals how the appearance of the Moon is affected by its position in orbit, distance from Earth, and more. The first visualization is jam-packed with data, but scroll down to see it broken down piece by piece. With high-res visuals from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, this is one of the best lunar science teaching tools ever made!

MicroObservatory: control robotic telescopes to take high-quality astrophotos of celestial objects both near and far (the Moon is a favorite!). Tutorials and other educational resources available.

For young learners: Hide and Seek Moon from NISENet. If you have your own binoculars, print out the Moon poster, place it 6-8 feet away, and guide young learners in using the binoculars to search for fun animal shapes. Next, try taking the binoculars our to look at the real Moon outside!