Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
As the Moon orbits Earth on an elliptical path, it appears to slide left and right as well as nod up and down. These motions, called libration and nutation, change how we see the Moon, allowing us to see around the edge a little bit. That means the perspective we have on mountains, valleys, craters, and more changes. In this NASA video, the shaoe of the edge of the Moon is shown exaggerated by 20X to show how the features change over the month.
Credit: Ernie Wright, NASA
Original video: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4517
More info: badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/total-eclipses-from-the-imperfect-moon
More about lunar motion written by me: scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-see-the-lunar-far-side-right-here-on-earth
As the Moon orbits Earth on an elliptical path, it appears to slide left and right as well as nod up and down. These motions, called libration and nutation, change how we see the Moon, allowing us to see around the edge a little bit. That means the perspective we have on mountains, valleys, craters, and more changes. In this NASA video, the shaoe of the edge of the Moon is shown exaggerated by 20X to show how the features change over the month.
Credit: Ernie Wright, NASA
Original video: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4517
More info: badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/total-eclipses-from-the-imperfect-moon
More about lunar motion written by me: scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-see-the-lunar-far-side-right-here-on-earth
