Lunar Libration


Optical libration is the wagging of the Moon perceived by Earth-bound observers caused by changes in their perspective.


Moon  Libration 2019 Sep 17 20:00 UTC, Lat 6.2N, Long 4.7W

Moon Phase, Libration and Position Angle 2019 Sep 17 20:00 UTC
Moon Libration in September 2019




"Over the course of a lunar cycle we can see more than 50% of the Moon's surface from Earth. This is because of a combination of effects which are known as "librations" of the Moon. If we view the face of the Moon over the course of its orbit in fast motion, it is as if the Moon is both nodding its head "yes" and shaking its head"no" at the same time.

The lunar libration in latitude is due to the Moon's axis being slightly inclined relative to the Earth's axis. From our angle we can at one time peek over the north pole of the Moon, and then later in the lunar month we peek under the south pole. Over the entire four week cycle it gives the the effect of the Moon slowly "nodding its head yes."

The diurnal (daily) libration of the Moon is due to the observer first viewing from the western edge of the Earth as the Moon is rising, and then later from up to four thousand miles away to the east as the Moon is setting. This is due to the rotation of the Earth. The difference in perspective between the rising and setting of the Moon appears as a slight turning of the Moon first to west and then to east, as though "shaking its head no."

Libration of longitude is an effect of the Moon's varying rate of travel along its slightly elliptical orbit around the Earth. The Moon travels faster when it is at its closest to Earth, and its slowest when it is farthest away. Its rotation on its own axis is more regular, the difference appearing again as a slight east-west "no" oscillation."
http://www.wwu.edu/planetarium/a101/a101_lunarlibration.shtml

"Although the Moon always presents us with the same face towards the Earth, due to its rotation and revolution being tidally locked to the same period, the combined effect of all these different librations allows us over time to see some 59% of the Moon's surface.The following are the three types of lunar libration:
  • Libration in longitude results from the eccentricity of the Moon's orbit around Earth; the Moon's rotation sometimes leads and sometimes lags its orbital position. The lunar libration in longitude was discovered by Johannes Hevelius in 1648.[2] It can reach 7°54′ in amplitude.[3]
  • Libration in latitude results from a slight inclination (about 6.7°) between the Moon's axis of rotation and the normal to the plane of its orbit around Earth. Its origin is analogous to how the seasons arise from Earth's revolution about the Sun. Galileo Galilei is sometimes credited with the discovery of the lunar libration in latitude in 1632,[2] although Thomas Harriot or William Gilbert could have done so before.[4] Note Cassini's laws. It can reach 6°50′ in amplitude.[3]
  • Diurnal libration is a small daily oscillation due to Earth's rotation, which carries an observer first to one side and then to the other side of the straight line joining Earth's and the Moon's centers, allowing the observer to look first around one side of the Moon and then around the other—since the observer is on Earth's surface, not at its center. It reaches less than 1° in amplitude.[3]"



The graphs are visualizing the geocentric optical libration of the Moon:




6 Sep 2019 Chandrayaan landing on Moon crater Simplius 


The north pole of the Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees toward the 12 o'clock position at the top of the image. The tilt of the Earth is important for understanding why the north pole of the Moon seems to swing back and forth. In the full animation, watch both the orbit and the "gyroscope" Moon in the lower left. The widest swings happen when the Moon is at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. When the Moon is at the 3 o'clock position, the ground we're standing on is tilted to the left when we look at the Moon. At the 9 o'clock position, it's tilted to the right. The tilt itself doesn't change. We're just turned around, looking in the opposite direction.


http://www.jgiesen.de/moonlibration/#meeus

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