Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: Nateman
One neat feature of living on the Moon is that the Earth is always in the same place in the sky.

You have heard of libration, right? The Moon exhibits both latitudinal and longitudinal libration - hence, an observer on about 1% of the surface of the Moon (i.e., at the so-called "limbs" at the apparent edge of the Moon as viewed from Earth) could watch the Earth completely dipping below / rising above the lunar horizon every month.

For observers elsewhere, the libration is still in effect, but the phenomenon wouldn't be as dramatic - the Earth would simply appear to wobble about 8° (due to longitudinal libration) and 7% (due to latitudinal libration), and therefore describe an analemma in the lunar sky.

The Earth has an apparent diameter of about 2° in the lunar sky, so this shift in position is not trivial.

Regards,

92 posted on 07/12/2025 9:47:03 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies ]


To: alexander_busek

I was aware of this wobble but figured it wasn't very much. Thanks for the update.

132 posted on 07/12/2025 11:42:24 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson