Keep a Moon Diary | The Schools' Observatory

Have you noticed the Moon is brighter some nights than others? And it looks like the Moon changes shape? We call these changes the phases of the Moon. This happens because the Moon orbits the Earth.

Use the Moon Diary chart to record what the Moon looks like each night. This activity will take you the next 4 weeks to complete!

By the end of this resource you will:

have observed (or tried to observe) the Moon each day for 28 days
noticed how the phases of the Moon change with time
made a record of your observations

To complete this resource you will need:

A copy of the Moon diary chart
Something to draw with
A view of the Moon

A grid with sapce to place an image of the Moon every night over the course of a month — Image of a Moon Diary

Approx Duration

30 - 60 mins

Have a go!

Every day for a month, look in the sky and find the Moon - sometimes you will see the Moon in the daytime, and other times you may have to wait until nighttime for the Moon to rise. You can check when the Moon will rise each night by looking in the Tonight's Moon box on the homepage.
Carefully look at the shape of the Moon in the sky.
Draw the shape in your Moon Diary.
If the weather is bad, you could draw a sad face in the box instead.
When your diary is complete, have a look at the shape:
1. Do you notice a pattern?
2. Can you predict what shape the Moon will be each night for the next month?

If you liked this, why not try

Moonsaic

Why Does the Moon Have Phases?

Find the Moon Missions

Have a go!

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