Task · part of 6. The Moon: a face sketched, four nights tracked, orbit and eclipses explained
6(b). Four sketches, same hour, same place, within ONE WEEK
Required Often forgotten
Phase AND position, with horizon landmarks (hills, trees, buildings) drawn each time so the position means something. Four nights inside seven. The requirement allows days as well as nights, which is the escape hatch when the evenings are cloudy.
Notes and warnings
Warning. THE TIGHTEST WINDOW ON THE BADGE, AND IT READS LIKE THE MILDEST LINE IN IT. Four sketches of the Moon at the SAME HOUR and the SAME PLACE, WITHIN A ONE-WEEK PERIOD, each with the horizon landmarks drawn so the position means something. Four usable evenings inside seven. Three cloudy nights in a row and that week is gone and the count starts from a new one. Begin it as early in the badge as you can and expect to need two goes, and note the escape hatch the requirement offers in a parenthesis: it allows DAYS as well as nights, and the Moon is visible in daylight for much of its cycle.
Where this step comes from
- Astronomy Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-09-19), Requirement 6(b) · Requires four sketches at the same hour and place within a one-week period, including landmarks on the horizon. The requirement allows days as well as nights.