The crescent moon

Ages

Introduction

Summary

The plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted at about 5° with respect to the ecliptic (the plane containing the Earth's orbit and the sun).
This animation illustrates why a waxing or waning crescent moon seems to be tilted at a much larger angle in the sky.

Goals

• To switch from one point of view to another in viewing the changing moon.
• To illustrate how our senses can distort what we  observe in Nature.

Tags

moon waning waxing crescent ecliptic phase