Moon Phases for an 8-Year-Old: Reuben’s Blood Moon, Lunar Eclipses, and How the Moon Changes

Hi Reuben! What you saw last night — the Blood Moon

When you saw a "blood moon," the Moon looked red. That happens during a total lunar eclipse. The Earth was sitting between the Sun and the Moon so the Earth's shadow fell on the Moon. Some sunlight passed through Earth's air and bent onto the Moon. The air scatters blue light and lets red light through, so the Moon looked red.

Moon phases: why the Moon changes shape each night

Moon phases happen because the Moon orbits the Earth. The side of the Moon that faces the Sun is bright, and the side that faces away is dark. As the Moon moves around Earth, we see different amounts of the bright side.

1. New Moon — The Moon is between the Sun and Earth, so the bright side faces away from us. We can hardly see the Moon.
2. Waxing Crescent — A thin sliver of the bright side appears. Waxing means getting bigger.
3. First Quarter — We see half of the Moon lit (looks like a D shape).
4. Waxing Gibbous — More than half is lit, getting closer to full.
5. Full Moon — The Earth is between the Sun and Moon. The whole face of the Moon we see is lit.
6. Waning Gibbous — The lit part gets smaller. Waning means getting smaller.
7. Last Quarter — We see the other half lit (looks like a C shape).
8. Waning Crescent — A thin sliver before it becomes new again.

Simple picture to imagine it

   Sun  ☀️  --->   Earth  🌍
                   (Moon positions around Earth)

        🌑  🌒  🌓  🌔  🌕  🌖  🌗  🌘
  

As the Moon moves from left to right in the row above, the bright part we see changes from new to full and back to new.

Easy at-home experiment (lamp and ball)

1. Get a lamp (no shade) or a bright flashlight to be your Sun.
2. Hold a small ball (a foam ball works) for the Moon.
3. Stand in for Earth. Put the lamp to one side (that is the Sun shining).
4. Move the ball slowly around your head. Watch how the bright part of the ball changes. That shows the Moon phases.

Why a lunar eclipse (blood moon) is different from a phase

Phases happen every month because of position. A lunar eclipse happens only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up exactly and Earth blocks the Sun's direct light. A total lunar eclipse is when the Moon goes into Earth’s shadow and can turn red.

Quick tips for observing the Moon

• Keep a moon journal: draw or take a picture each night and write the date.
• Try to look at the Moon at the same time each night to watch how it changes.
• Use binoculars to see craters, or a small telescope if you can.
• It is safe to look at the Moon with your eyes — unlike the Sun.

Little glossary

Orbit — the path the Moon takes around Earth.
Phase — the shape of the lit part of the Moon we see.
Lunar eclipse — when Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon (that makes a blood moon sometimes).

Fun challenge

For the next month, draw the Moon every night for 30 nights. At the end, you will see the whole cycle from new to full and back. Try the lamp-and-ball experiment and see if your drawings match what you model.

Great job being curious, Reuben! If you want, tell me what your journal shows and I can help you name each phase.