libration
English
editEtymology
editFrom Latin lībrātiō (“a hurling, swinging”), from lībrō (“poise, cause to swing”).
Pronunciation
editNoun
editlibration (countable and uncountable, plural librations)
- The act of librating.
- (astronomy) The apparent wobble or variation in the visible side of the Moon that permanently faces the Earth, allowing observers on Earth to see, over a period of time, slightly more than half of the lunar surface.
- (by extension) A similar rotational or orbital characteristic of some other celestial body.
- (dynamics) The oscillation of an angle about a stable equilibrium point.[1]
- (chemistry) A vibrational degree of freedom whereby a group of atoms partly rotates back and forth, similar to the Moon's motion.
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editact of libration
astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon
astronomy: similar characteristic of another celesial object
See also
editReferences
editFrench
editPronunciation
editAudio: (file)
Noun
editlibration f (plural librations)
Derived terms
editFurther reading
edit- “libration”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
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- Rhymes:English/eɪʃən
- Rhymes:English/eɪʃən/3 syllables
- English lemmas
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- en:Astronomy
- en:Chemistry
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