How Do Lunar Phases Change Everyday Life
Lunar phases, tides, and seasons all affect life on Earth. You can see these changes everyday, whether you're watching the news or looking at the moon. Changes in weather, water height, and even the light from the moon can dramatically change daily life.
Lunar phases aren't actually caused by the moon changing shape. It's caused by the moon changing position. As Earth rotates around the sun, it casts shadows on the moon, creating the eight different moon phases.
A tide is the rising and falling of sea levels. The tide varies based on the moon waning or waxing. The higher tides are called spring tides while the low tides are called leap tides.
Spring tides happen during waxing moon phases, but neap tides happen during waning moon phases.
Tides occur in predictable patterns daily. Most places get two daily spring tides and neap tides.
Unlike lunar phases, seasons aren't caused by position, and prior to popular belief, seasons are also not caused by how close the Earth is to the sun. Instead, seasons are caused by the rotation of Earth's axis.
During the north end of Earth's rotation, the axis is facing the sun, causing summer for the northern hemisphere and winter for the southern hemisphere. On the flip side, on the south end of Earth's rotation, the northern hemisphere is in winter and the southern in summer. This is why spring and fall weather is mild.
Solstices, or times when Earth's axis is most towards or away from the sun, happens two times a year. As do equinoxes which are two days of the year that are equal in time.
In conclusion, the moon, sun, and gravity have a big effect on the world, creating moon phases, tides, and seasons, all of which affect daily life for every biotic and abiotic thing on Earth.
Lunar phases aren't actually caused by the moon changing shape. It's caused by the moon changing position. As Earth rotates around the sun, it casts shadows on the moon, creating the eight different moon phases.
A tide is the rising and falling of sea levels. The tide varies based on the moon waning or waxing. The higher tides are called spring tides while the low tides are called leap tides.
Spring tides happen during waxing moon phases, but neap tides happen during waning moon phases.
Tides occur in predictable patterns daily. Most places get two daily spring tides and neap tides.
Unlike lunar phases, seasons aren't caused by position, and prior to popular belief, seasons are also not caused by how close the Earth is to the sun. Instead, seasons are caused by the rotation of Earth's axis.
During the north end of Earth's rotation, the axis is facing the sun, causing summer for the northern hemisphere and winter for the southern hemisphere. On the flip side, on the south end of Earth's rotation, the northern hemisphere is in winter and the southern in summer. This is why spring and fall weather is mild.
Solstices, or times when Earth's axis is most towards or away from the sun, happens two times a year. As do equinoxes which are two days of the year that are equal in time.
In conclusion, the moon, sun, and gravity have a big effect on the world, creating moon phases, tides, and seasons, all of which affect daily life for every biotic and abiotic thing on Earth.