Re: 2 million teachers in 2007!

[Lois Breur Krause <krause@CLEMSON.EDU>]

the orbit of the moon is in a plane a bit off from that of the earth's
orbit of the sun, as you have suggested.  find a good map of the solar
system and you'll see why we don't get eclipses every month.
http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/moon_ap_per.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

for those innterested in astronomy, check this out-  today's photo is a
solar eclipse shot.  i have astro pic of the day as my homepage so it comes
up when i bring up netscape.





> When in the fourth grade, out family went out one night about
> midnight to see a total lunar eclipse. My teacher was 'explaining'
> how it occurred when I asked 'then why doesn't it happen EVERY
> month???'
>
> She clearly didn't have an answer but said it would be a good
> question to study.
> My two older brothers tried to help me 'understand' the answer. I
> remember the word 'wobble' being used. I'm STILL not sure I have a
> complete handle on all the orbital planes in the solar system, and
> MOST importantly, I appreciate her willingness to say 'I don't know.
> Let's try to find out.'
>
> DOES the moon's orbit lie in the equatorial plane? Clearly not, since
> it varies from High to Low in the sky. It also can't orbit in the
> same plane as the earth's orbit or we WOULD get monthly eclipses. So
> I guess it DOES orbit in some intermediate plane??
>
>
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Dr. Lois Breur Krause
Department of Geological Sciences
442 Brackett Hall
Clemson University
Clemson SC  29634

teaching chemistry, physics, astronomy and geology to elementary education
majors.

How We Learn and Why We Don't: Student Survival Guide,
available from International Thompson Publishing, ISBN 0324-011970

http://home.earthlink.net/~breurkrause

krause@clemson.edu