Moon Journal Data Analysis and Report.
Having collected an extensive data set of observations of the Moon our next job is to analyze that data. For this part of the exercise we will use the data set of the entire class, which is available on the course Canvas site as the Moon Log Summer 2019 (next after this page). Your job is to answer the following questions about the Moon using only this data set. For each of the things I ask you to figure out you are expected to back up your answer with data from the Moon log.
For instance, if I asked you how many days there were from one full moon to the next a good answer would be:
The Moon was full on February 18th, March 19th , and April 17th. There are 29 days from February 18th to March 19th and 29 days from March 19th until April 17th so there must be 29 days between full moons.
Grades for this portion of the exercise will be based on whether your answers are correct and how good your evidence is for each conclusion. Please use proper grammar with complete sentences and appropriate punctuation. Remember that it is necessary to participate in the Moon Journal exercise to pass this class. If you failed to turn in observations it is even more imperative that you do this portion of the exercise.
Each question will be graded on the following rubric:
Has no data in support of the argument or is not answered at all.
0 points
Contains data but is poorly argued or comes
to an incorrect result. 1 point
Contains a correct argument well supported by data. 2 points
Notice the emphasis on data. I can’t say this clearly enough. The exercise is about learning to analyze data and only tangentially about the Moon. Be prepared for the possibility that real Moon cycles are more complicated than the model we built in week 3.
While I call this a report, your goal is just to answer to the questions. You don’t need to include things like an introduction or conclusion. Just write clear and complete answers to the questions themselves.
The 9 questions are listed below. Some will be simpler to prove than others.
Questions:
1.) (Double Points) How many different phases of the Moon were seen and in what order do the phases occur? Use the dates and images in the database to show how the visible surface of the Moon changes over time throughout a cycle. It doesn't matter where in the cycle you start but demonstrate what the different shapes are, what they are called, and what order they come in.
2.) Is the Moon only visible at night?
3.) How many days pass between once 3rd quarter Moon through the cycle of phases to the next 3rd quarter Moon? Does it take the same length of time for other phases to repeat themselves?
4.) Which direction does the Moon move across the sky during one day (or 12 hour period)?
5.) During what part of the day (morning, afternoon, etc.) does a waxing crescent Moon set? the waning gibbous?
6.) During what part of the day does a full Moon rise? When is the waning crescent in the south, halfway between rising and setting?
7.) Does the Moon rise and set at the same time each day? (hint: questions 5 and 6 will leave you with good data to answer this question but please include the data in your answer here rather than just saying that it is elsewhere in the report.)
8.) How does the orientation of the moon (which way the face of the Moon is rotated) change when it is in the east vs. when it is south or west. (There is a photo file on the main page to help you understand this question.)
9.) What phase of the Moon was/were spotted most often in the morning between 6 am and noon. Here you should count up to see which was really most often reported.
Sample Solution