Lunar libration: January 7 moon maximum for 2022

Simulated views of the moon over one month, demonstrating lunar libration in latitude and longitude. These rocking and wobbling motions as seen from Earth enable us to see 59% of the moon’s surface over time. Image via Tomruen.

Lunar libration is a perspective effect

Editor’s Note: The moon you’ll see on January 7, 2022 will be at its maximum libration for the year of 9.89 degrees. On January 7, the moon is waxing in the evening sky. Great time to start watching!

It’s common knowledge that our moon has a near side and a far side. Indeed, most people know that half of the moon always faces Earth, and one half always points away. So, does this mean we can only see 50% of the moon’s surface from Earth? No. Over time, it’s possible to see as much as 59% of the moon’s surface, due to a combination of motions – in particular, a slight north-south rocking and east-west wobbling of the moon – known as lunar libration.

To put it another way, libration might be called a wagging or wavering of the moon, as perceived from Earth. It’s caused by changes in our perspective as we watch the moon over a month. In addition, it permits an observer to see slightly different hemispheres of the surface at different times.

Love the moon? See its phase for every day in 2022. EarthSky lunar calendars now available! Going fast!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Meiying Lee in Taipei, Taiwan, took these images of the moon in September and October 2021. Meiying wrote: “This photo compares a waxing crescent moon, a full moon and a waning crescent moon. It is easy to find that we can observe more than 50% of the moon’s surface instead of just the front side of the moon. This is precisely because of the relationship between lunar libration! The three photos were taken at 14.2% illumination on September 10th, 99.5% illumination on September 21st and 15.1% illumination on October 3rd.” Thank you, Meiying!

Lunar libration in longitude

Libration in longitude is the moon’s east-west wobble. This sort of libration is a product of the moon’s elliptical (elongated) orbit. Although the moon’s rotation, or spin, goes at a nearly constant rate, its orbital speed varies. It is going fastest at perigee (moon’s closest point to Earth) and slowest at apogee (moon’s farthest point from Earth).

At perigee or apogee, there is no libration of longitude.

Maximum librations are seen about one week after perigee and one week after apogee, revealing (depending upon the month) up to eight degrees of longitude on the moon’s back side, along the eastern and western limbs, respectively.

Following perigee, the moon’s rotation can’t keep pace with its orbit, so a slice of the moon’s back side slips into view along the moon’s trailing limb. Following apogee, the moon’s rotation outpaces its slower orbit, causing a sliver of the moon’s back side to emerge along the leading limb.

Moon at perigee and apogee: 2001 to 2100

View larger. The yellow lines define the near side of the moon, and the space between the yellow and green lines outline the far side of the moon that is visible from Earth, given favorable lunar librations. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Lunar libration in latitude

Libration in latitude is the moon’s north-south nodding. It results primarily from the approximate five degree tilt of the moon’s orbital plane with respect to the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane).

Add to that, the approximate 1.5 degree tilt of the moon’s equator to the ecliptic, and you have the inclination of the moon’s equator to the plane of its orbit around Earth at some 6.5 degrees (5 + 1.5 = 6.5). Consequently, during the month, you can see about 6.5 degrees of latitude beyond the moon’s north pole, and a fortnight later, 6.5 degrees past the south pole.

Twice a month, the moon crosses the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane) at points called nodes. When the moon crosses the ecliptic from south to north, it’s called an ascending node. When the moon crosses the ecliptic from north to south, it’s called a descending node.

There is no libration of latitude when the moon is at its ascending node or descending node.

Maximum librations

Maximum librations happen about one week after the moon crosses either node. The moon’s southern limb is most exposed about one week after the moon crosses its ascending node, and its northern limb is maximally exposed about one week after the moon crosses its descending node.

In other words, when the moon swings farthest north of the ecliptic, the lunar south pole points most toward Earth. On the other hand, when the moon goes farthest south of the ecliptic, it’s the lunar north pole that points maximally toward our planet. At particularly favorable librations, we can see nearly seven degrees beyond either pole.

Node passages of the moon: 2001 to 2100

The prominent crater Tycho provides an easy way for us to see libration in latitude. In the photo at right, notice how much farther south of Tycho you can see during a favorable libration. Images via John Chumack (left)/ Frank Barrett (right)/ AstroBob.

Other types of lunar librations

In addition, your position on Earth also has some, but significantly less, bearing on latitudinal libration. If you reside at a far northern latitude in the Northern Hemisphere, you see further north on the moon than does someone in the Southern Hemisphere. Of course, the reverse is also true: someone in the Southern Hemisphere sees more of the moon’s southerly features.

Your position also influences longitudinal libration, though once again, only marginally. At moonrise, you can make out a little more of the moon’s east (or top) limb; and at moonset, a little more of the moon’s west (and now at top) limb.

So, as you stand on Earth’s surface, it’s true that you see only 50% of the moon at any one time. And yet, all told, lunar libration – the north-south and east-west oscillations of the moon – reveal 59% of the lunar terrain.

Lunar libration lets us see more than 50% of the moon. Photos by Manuel Castillo Vela/ EPOD.

Bottom line: A slight north-south rocking and east-west wobbling of the moon – known as lunar libration – lets us see 59% of the moon’s surface. That’s true even though one side of the moon always faces Earth. The moon’s maximum libration for the year is January 7, 2022.

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