The Heavens 



153 



sents tHe earth, is moved about its orbit, a small ball representing 

 the moon revolves about the earth. 



Make a drawing showing the path of the earth and locating 

 the sun. With the earth in some one position draw the orbit or 

 path of the moon. Label the ellipse to show the position of the 

 earth at the different seasons of the year. 



,The effects of change of seasons on plants, animals and people 

 are apparent. At the approach of winter, plants cease to grow and 

 many lose their foliage ; many birds migrate, moving to warmer 

 regions; some animals, like the bear and the woodchuck, hiber- 

 nate, or go to sleep for the winter ; and many people move to lands 

 where summer climate prevails. As spring and summer return, 

 the birds reappear, and the hibernating animals come from their 

 holes or dens. 



The Moon. Except for a 

 few meteors, the moon is the 

 nearest to the earth of any of 

 the heavenly bodies. Her 

 diameter is about 2,160 miles. 

 Her volume is about one- 

 fiftieth that of the earth. The 

 moon revolves about the earth 

 at an average distance of 

 approximately 240,000 miles. 

 Since the moon's rotation on 



her axis takes the same Brown Brothers. 



amount of time as her period 



of revolution around the earth, she always turns the same portion 

 of her surface to the earth. Nearly half her surface is never 

 seen from the earth. 



Phases of the Moon. In the moon's revolution around the 

 earth, she shows herself to us in constantly changing forms. 

 These changing forms, sometimes full moon, sometimes half- 

 moon, and sometimes a mere crescent, are called the phases of the 

 moon. These phases are caused by the changes in the relative 

 position of the sun, moon, and earth, and the varying portions 

 of the moon's surface that can be seen from the earth. The moon 



