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Although the Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, there are a number of near-Earth objects (NEOs) with orbits that are in resonance with Earth. These have been called "second" moons of Earth or "minimoons". [2] [3] 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, an asteroid discovered on 27 April 2016, is possibly the most stable quasi-satellite of Earth. [4]
The Moon differs from most regular satellites of other planets in that its orbit is closer to the ecliptic plane instead of its primary's (in this case, Earth's) equatorial plane. The Moon's orbital plane is inclined by about 5.1° with respect to the ecliptic plane, whereas Earth's equatorial plane is tilted by about 23.4° with respect to the ...
Irregular moons are probably minor planets that have been captured from surrounding space. Most irregular moons are less than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in diameter. The earliest published discovery of a moon other than Earth's was by Galileo Galilei, who discovered the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610. Over the following three ...
Shadows and detail are most pronounced along the "terminator", the dividing line between the illuminated (day side) and dark (night side) of the Moon. It is a common misconception that the moon is not visible during the daytime , although if the moon is a thin crescent or close to the Sun, viewing can require using a telescope.
There’s an endless procession of ‘north stars’, because the Earth’s axis is not fixed in space, writes Nigel Henbest February night sky: Key dates for moons, comets and stars this month ...
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite.It orbits at an average distance of 384,400 km (238,900 mi), about 30 times the diameter of Earth. Tidal forces between Earth and the Moon have synchronized the Moon's orbital period (lunar month) with its rotation period at 29.5 Earth days, causing the same side of the Moon to always face Earth.
The night side of the moon, illuminated by earthshine, becomes visible next to the narrow crescent (11 percent, age of the moon = 3.3 days) with ash-grey moonlight. Image taken 20° over the western evening sky shortly after the equinox in spring with a particularly steep ecliptic as seen from Berlin.
A Search for Objects near the Earth–Moon Lagrangian Points, by Francisco Valdes and Robert A. Freitas Jr., did not find any objects at the Earth–Moon or Earth–Sun lagrange points, but this survey was not sensitive to diffuse clouds. Roach, J. R. (January 1975). "Counterglow from the earth-moon libration points". Planetary and Space Science.