Moonrise slips later
About 50 minutes later each day.
Moonrise times
You note the time the Moon rises on one evening. The next day you check again.
When will moonrise be on the next day?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Moonrise comes about 50 minutes later each day: while Earth rotates once in 24 hours, the Moon moves ahead in its orbit, so Earth must rotate a little more for the Moon to reach the same spot.
Moonrise times
You note the time the Moon rises on one evening. The next day you check again.
When will moonrise be on the next day?
- About 50 minutes later
- About the same time
- About an hour earlier
Catch up with the Moon
Press Next step.
A later moonrise
The Earth turns once in 24 hours, but the Moon has moved ahead in its orbit. So the Earth must rotate a little more for the Moon to appear in nearly the same spot. As a result the Moon rises about 50 minutes later each day.
Moonrise comes about 50 minutes later each day, because the Moon moves ahead in its orbit and the Earth must rotate a little more.
Notes
Moonrise comes about 50 minutes later each day.
Check yourself
By about how many minutes does moonrise shift later each day?
Answer: 50 min
Moonrise comes about 50 minutes later each day.
Moonrise shifts about 50 minutes each day. About how many minutes later is moonrise after 2 days?
Answer: 100 min
2 × 50 = about 100 minutes.
The Moon rises later each day because the Moon …
The Earth completes one rotation in …
- stops moving. The Moon keeps moving in its orbit.
- moves ahead in its orbit while Earth rotates — correct. Yes!
- changes shape. Its shape does not change. It moves ahead in its orbit.
- 50 minutes. 50 minutes is the daily shift in moonrise.
- a month. A month is about the Moon's cycle.
- 24 hours — correct. Yes!