Contains:  Solar system body or event
Eastern Libration, astropical

Eastern Libration

Acquisition type: Lucky imaging
Eastern Libration, astropical

Eastern Libration

Acquisition type: Lucky imaging

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Description

The lunar libration can bring features in view that are normally only partly or not at all visible from Earth. "Normally" refers to when both, sub-Earth longitude and latitude, are 0° On this evening, the sub-Earth longitude was at 6.8° east bringing Mare Humboldtianum into view (center top on the image). The longitude can actually toggle ±7.9° and ±6.8° in latitude. In total, this enables us to observe 59% of the lunar surface, of course not at the same time. It's a hunt for good timing. The moon is basically tidally locked on Earth but it's orbit is not circular and its orbital inclination is not zero in that this welcome libration occurs.

The image in the revison is a top view on Mare Humboldtianum. No, no, not with my 6-inch telescope and not from my Nissan Clipper weekend moon shuttle, the image is from the LRO.

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Revisions

  • Final
    Eastern Libration, astropical
    Original
  • Eastern Libration, astropical
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Histogram

Eastern Libration, astropical