On the Sound of Science on WNIJ, Jasmine and Chrissy from NIU STEAM introduced themselves and shared their knowledge with a listener named Vera. Vera, who is 6 years old, asked a question about why we can see the Moon during the day. Jasmine explained that while we typically see the Moon at night, there are times when it is visible during the day due to its position in the sky and its proximity to Earth compared to other celestial objects.
Chrissy elaborated on how the Earth revolves around the sun and rotates on its axis, causing day-time and night-time hours. The Moon, as a natural satellite of Earth, orbits our planet every 27-29 days. It reflects sunlight, which allows us to see different phases of the Moon as it moves in relation to Earth’s shadow. The Moon’s position in the sky changes as it revolves around Earth, similar to how the Sun rises and sets.
Jasmine continued by explaining that the Moon sets 50 minutes later each night as it goes through its phases. The closeness of the Moon to Earth compared to other celestial objects is why we can see it during the day, especially when it is full and aligned with the Sun. Chrissy emphasized that this phenomenon occurs because of our perspective from Earth’s surface and not due to any special properties of the moon or sun.
In conclusion, Jasmine and Chrissy thanked Vera for her question and reminded listeners that tune in to The Sound of Science on WNIJ to learn something new every day about science and technology.
