Record-breaking Supermoon Live Shots (Nov. 11, 2016)
- Edited by:
- Michael Randazzo
- Produced by:
- Clare Skelly
- View full credits
B-roll for supermoon live shots on Nov. 11, 2016.
Bigger and Brighter, the Moon will Dazzle in the Night Sky all Weekend
The moon is a familiar sight, but the days leading up to Monday, Nov. 14, promise a spectacular supermoon show. When a full moon makes its closest pass to Earth in its orbit it appears up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, making it a supermoon. This month’s is especially ‘super’ for two reasons: it is the only supermoon this year to be completely full, and it is the closest moon to Earth since 1948 – when a gallon of gas cost just 16 cents. The moon won’t be this super again until 2034!
Join NASA scientists on Friday, Nov. 11, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST to tell your viewers when they can see the supermoon, what’s so special about this one and how studying our nearest neighbor helps us uncover mysteries of the outer solar system.
The moon is the Rosetta Stone by which we understand the rest of the solar system. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter – or LRO – has been mapping the moon’s surface and capturing high-resolution images for more than seven years. New observations from LRO show a surprising number of small meteoroids are transforming the moon’s surface much faster than previously thought. Extensive mapping of the moon aids scientists in understanding our planet’s history as well as planetary objects beyond the Earth-moon system.
Share supermoon images using #NASAsupermoon.
Find a collection of these images on NASA Goddard's Flickr.
*** To Book a Window *** Contact Clare Skelly – clare.a.skelly@nasa.gov / 301-286-4994 (office)
HD Satellite Digital Coordinates:AMC-9 Ku-band Xp 23 Slot AB| 83.0 ° W Longitude | DL 12151.0 MHz | Horizontal Polarity | QPSK/DVB-S | FEC 3/4 | SR 13.235 Mbps | DR 18.2954 MHz | HD 720p | Format MPEG2 | Chroma Level 4:2:0 | Audio Embedded
Suggested Questions:
1. What is a supermoon and what makes this one so super?
2. When is the best time to see the supermoon and will it look different from other full moons?
3. Many of our viewers will be amazed to hear that NASA has had a spacecraft orbiting the moon for over seven years. What is the most surprising thing you’ve seen?
4. What can our moon teach us about other mysterious places deeper in the solar system?
5. Where can we learn more?
Location: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Greenbelt, Maryland
Scientists:
Dr. Noah Petro / NASA Scientist
—or—
Dr. Alex Young / NASA Scientist
—or—
Nayessda Castro / NASA Engineer & LRO Mission Operations Team Member [en Español]
Movies
- 12404_Supermoon_LS_Alex_Young.webm (960x540) [86.7 MB]
- 12404_Supermoon_LS_Alex_Young.mov (1280x720) [2.9 GB]
- 12404_Supermoon_LS_Alex_Young_h264.mov (1280x720) [1.4 GB]
Captions
- 12404_Supermoon_LS_Alex_Young_lowres.en_US.srt [4.4 KB]
- 12404_Supermoon_LS_Alex_Young_lowres.en_US.vtt [4.2 KB]
Images
- 12404_Supermoon_LS_Alex_Young_h264.00001_print.jpg (1024x576) [115.5 KB]
Dr. Alex Young interview about upcoming Supermoon on November 14, 2016.
Movies
- 12404_Nayessda_Castro_Supermoon_Canned.mov (1280x720) [2.1 GB]
- 12404_Nayessda_Castro_Supermoon_Canned.mp4 (1280x720) [241.0 MB]
- 12404_Nayessda_Castro_Supermoon_Canned.webmhd.webm (1280x720) [34.9 MB]
Captions
- 12404_Nayessda_Castro_Supermoon_Canned.en_US.srt [3.5 KB]
- 12404_Nayessda_Castro_Supermoon_Canned.en_US.vtt [3.4 KB]
Images
- 12404_Nayessda_Castro_Supermoon_Canned.00001_print.jpg (1024x576) [106.6 KB]
Nayessda Castro, NASA Engineer, interview about upcoming Supermoon on November 14, 2016.
[On camera canned interview] Planetary scientist Dr. Noah Petro answers questions about the Nov. 14, 2016, supermoon.
[Off camera canned interview] Planetary scientist Dr. Noah Petro answers questions about the Nov. 14, 2016, supermoon.
[Canned interview in Spanish] NASA engineer Nayessda Castro answers questions about the Nov. 14, 2016, supermoon in Spanish.
[Short social media video about the Nov. 14, 2016, supermoon]
The moon is a familiar sight, but the days leading up to Monday, Nov. 14, promise a spectacular supermoon show. When a full moon makes its closest pass to Earth in its orbit it appears up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, making it a supermoon. This month’s is especially ‘super’ for two reasons: it is the only supermoon this year to be completely full, and it is the closest moon to Earth since 1948. The moon won’t be this super again until 2034!
Share your supermoon photos using #NASAsupermoon on social media.
For More Information
See nasa.gov/lro
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Editor
- Michael Randazzo (AIMM) [Lead]
Scientist
- Noah Petro (NASA/GSFC)
Producers
- Clare Skelly (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
- Michelle Handleman (KBRwyle)
Related pages
Biggest and Brightest Moon of 2020 Live Shots
April 3rd, 2020
Read moreClick here for canned interview with Dr. Noah PetroClick here for canned interview in Spanish with Dr. Geronimo VillanuevaClick here for B-ROLL for these interviews.You can learn more about Apollo 13 as we near the 50th anniversary here: NASA Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Apollo 13, ‘A Successful Failure’ Canned interview with NASA Scientist Dr. Noah Petro. TRT 7:24 B-roll for Supermoon Live Shot Canned interview in Spanish with NASA Scientist Dr. Geronimo Villanueva. TRT 4:27 Need something to do on Tuesday, April 7th? Make sure you check out the Moon! The Moon will be at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it appear bigger and brighter in the sky-- a Supermoon. NASA scientists are available virtually for live or taped interviews using programs including Skype or FaceTime on Tuesday, April 7th, from 6:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. EDT to tell your viewers when they can see this unique phenomenon and talk about the Moon’s past, present and future. To Schedule an interview: https://forms.gle/W8T6JEVqTj2TbADz7The Moon has an elliptical orbit, and it goes through periods of orbiting more closely to Earth. Tuesday’s supermoon will be the closest this year!The Moon is a familiar sight in the night sky. Humans have been staring at it since the dawn of time. But even now we’re still learning new things about our closest neighbor. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been giving us an unprecedented close-up view of our Moon for over a decade. It’s showing us where meteorites are hitting the surface and changing the landscape even now, and where there are minerals in the lunar soil that could be resources for future explorers. The spacecraft is showing us every day that our Moon is dynamic and a fascinating place to explore. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon later this month, NASA is looking to send the first woman and next man to the Moon with the Artemis program. This time to stay. SUGGESTED ANCHOR INTRO: DID YOU KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THE MOON APPEARS SLIGHTLY LARGER IN THE SKY?... WELL, TONIGHT MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE BIGGEST AND MOST DAZZLING MOON OF THE YEAR… WE HAVE NASA SCIENTIST…. TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS AMAZING PHENOMENON….Scientists:Noah Petro / NASA ScientistKelsey Young / NASA ScientistBarbara Cohen / NASA ScientistMichelle Thaller / NASA Scientist Andrea Jones / Public Engagement Lead, Planetary Science at NASA GoddardGeronimo Villanueva / NASA Scientist [can do interviews in Spanish]Suggested QuestionsWhat is a supermoon and why is it special? NASA has been studying the Moon for 10 years with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, what are some surprising things we’ve learned about the Moon?The 50th anniversary of Apollo 13th is coming up. Although the Apollo 13 astronauts didn’t land on the Moon, what did we learn from this mission?NASA is planning an exciting new mission to the Moon with the Artemis program. What do we still want to know about the Moon?How can our viewers see the supermoon and learn more? Related pages
‘Super, Blue Blood Moon’ Will Leave Spectators in Awe Live Shots
Jan. 24th, 2018
Read moreB-roll Find out what scientists will be learning during the Super, Blue, Blood Moon.Beginning at 5:30 a.m. EST on Jan. 31, a live feed of the Moon will be offered on NASA TV and NASA.gov/live. You can also follow at @NASAMoon. Weather permitting, the NASA TV broadcast will feature views from the varying vantage points of telescopes at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles; and the University of Arizona’s Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory. For more click HERE Soundbites with Dr. Noah Petro / NASA Scientist / LRO Deputy Project Scientist. TRT 2:37Answers the following questions: What is the best way to watch the ‘Super, Blue Blood Moon?’ NASA has been studying the Moon with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter – or LRO –for eight years. What has been most surprising about NASA’s observations of theMoon? During the total solar eclipse, people in the path of totality experienced a drop in temperature. What can scientists learn about the Moon by observing it during the lunar eclipse? When will this unusual combination of a lunar eclipse, super and blue Moon occur again? ‘Super, Blue Blood Moon’ Will Leave Spectators in Awe on Jan. 31br>NASA Scientists Available Jan. 30 to Show Viewers How to See the Magnificent Moon.It’s the Moon’s turn to shine next week, coming on the heels of the solar eclipse last August. Serendipity strikes on Wednesday, Jan. 31 as a total lunar eclipse will happen at the same time as a supermoon and a blue Moon. This lunar trifecta is the first of its kind in 35 years and will not occur again until 2037.Join NASA scientists from 6:00-11:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 30 – the day before the rare event – to find out how your viewers can experience the ‘Super, Blue, Blood Moon’ and learn more about our closest celestial neighbor.People around the world will experience a bigger and brighter Moon caused by the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit. Viewers in the central and western U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Eastern Asia will get the added bonus of seeing a lunar eclipse – giving the Moon a copper glow. NASA scientists are using the lunar eclipse as an opportunity to study what happens when the Moon goes from baking in the Sun to being in the cold shadow of the Earth. A blue Moon occurs on the second full Moon of a calendar month. The chance alignment happens once in a ‘blue Moon.’**** To book a window contact: michelle.z.handleman@nasa.gov/ 301-286-0918 **** HD Satellite Digital Coordinates for G17-K18/Upper: Galaxy 17 Ku-band Xp 18 Slot Upper| 91.0 ° W Longitude | DL 12069.0 MHz | Vertical Polarity | QPSK/DVB-S | FEC 3/4 | SR 13.235 Mbps | DR 18.2954 MHz | HD 720p | Format MPEG2 | Chroma Level 4:2:0 | Audio EmbeddedSuggested Questions:1. What is the best way to watch the ‘Super, Blue Blood Moon?’2. How rare is the combination of a lunar eclipse, super and blue Moon?3. NASA has been studying the Moon with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter – or LRO –for eight years. What has been most surprising about NASA’s observations of theMoon?4. How can NASA’s understanding of our Moon lead to further space exploration?5. Where can we learn more about our Moon and NASA’s observations of it?Questions for longer interviews:1. What does the lunar eclipse mean for a spacecraft orbiting the Moon?2. During the total solar eclipse, people in the path of totality experienced a drop in temperature. How will the temperature on the Moon be affected by this eclipse?3. The 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 is approaching. What is there left to learn about the Moon?4. When will this unusual combination of a lunar eclipse, super and blue Moon occur again?Live Shot Details:Location: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Greenbelt, MarylandScientists:Dr. Noah Petro / NASA Scientist / LRO Deputy Project Scientist Dr. Michelle Thaller / NASA ScientistDr. Jake Bleacher / NASA ScientistDr. Geronimo Villanueva / NASA Scientist [en Español] Related pages
The Moon and More
Oct. 3rd, 2016
Read more"The Moon and More" - a music video starring musicians Javier Colon and Matt Cusson.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. "The Moon and More" is a music video featuring musicians Javier Colon (Season 1 winner of NBC's "The Voice"), and Matt Cusson in collaboration with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. For More InformationSee [http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/lro-presents-the-moon-and-more](http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/lro-presents-the-moon-and-more) Related pages
Moon Phase and Libration, 2016
Dec. 10th, 2015
Read moreWaxing crescent. Visible toward the southwest in early evening. First quarter. Visible high in the southern sky in early evening. Waxing gibbous. Visible to the southeast in early evening, up for most of the night. Full Moon. Rises at sunset, high in the sky around midnight. Visible all night. Waning gibbous. Rises after sunset, high in the sky after midnight, visible to the southwest after sunrise. Third quarter. Rises around midnight, visible to the south after sunrise. Waning crescent. Low to the east before sunrise. New Moon. By the modern definition, New Moon occurs when the Moon and Sun are at the same geocentric ecliptic longitude. The part of the Moon facing us is completely in shadow then. Pictured here is the traditional New Moon, the earliest visible waxing crescent, which signals the start of a new month in many lunar and lunisolar calendars. The phase and libration of the Moon for 2016, at hourly intervals. Includes supplemental graphics that display the Moon's orbit, subsolar and sub-Earth points, and the Moon's distance from Earth at true scale. Craters near the terminator are labeled.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. The phase and libration of the Moon for 2016 at hourly intervals, with music, titles, and supplemental graphics. Music provided by Killer Tracks Production Music. The phase and libration of the Moon for 2016, at hourly intervals. The higher resolution frames include an alpha channel. The orbit of the Moon in 2016, viewed from the north pole of the ecliptic, with the vernal equinox to the right. The sizes of the Earth and Moon are exaggerated by a factor of 15, 20, or 25, depending on the frame size. The frames include an alpha channel. An animated diagram of the subsolar and sub-Earth points for 2016. The Moon's north pole, equator, and meridian are indicated. The frames include an alpha channel. An animated diagram of the Moon's distance from the Earth for 2016. The sizes and distances are true to scale, and the lighting and Earth tilt are correct. The frames include an alpha channel. Crater labels. The labels appear when the center of the crater is within 20 degrees of the terminator (the day-night line). They are on the western edge of the crater during waxing phases (before Full Moon) and to the east during waning phases. The frames include an alpha channel. Dial-A-Moon Click on the image to download a high-resolution version with labels for craters near the terminator. The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file.The animation archived on this page shows the geocentric phase, libration, position angle of the axis, and apparent diameter of the Moon throughout the year 2016, at hourly intervals. Until the end of 2016, the initial Dial-A-Moon image will be the frame from this animation for the current hour.More in this series:Moon Phase and Libration GalleryLunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been in orbit around the Moon since the summer of 2009. Its laser altimeter (LOLA) and camera (LROC) are recording the rugged, airless lunar terrain in exceptional detail, making it possible to visualize the Moon with unprecedented fidelity. This is especially evident in the long shadows cast near the terminator, or day-night line. The pummeled, craggy landscape thrown into high relief at the terminator would be impossible to recreate in the computer without global terrain maps like those from LRO.The Moon always keeps the same face to us, but not exactly the same face. Because of the tilt and shape of its orbit, we see the Moon from slightly different angles over the course of a month. When a month is compressed into 24 seconds, as it is in this animation, our changing view of the Moon makes it look like it's wobbling. This wobble is called libration.The word comes from the Latin for "balance scale" (as does the name of the zodiac constellation Libra) and refers to the way such a scale tips up and down on alternating sides. The sub-Earth point gives the amount of libration in longitude and latitude. The sub-Earth point is also the apparent center of the Moon's disk and the location on the Moon where the Earth is directly overhead.The Moon is subject to other motions as well. It appears to roll back and forth around the sub-Earth point. The roll angle is given by the position angle of the axis, which is the angle of the Moon's north pole relative to celestial north. The Moon also approaches and recedes from us, appearing to grow and shrink. The two extremes, called perigee (near) and apogee (far), differ by about 14%.The most noticed monthly variation in the Moon's appearance is the cycle of phases, caused by the changing angle of the Sun as the Moon orbits the Earth. The cycle begins with the waxing (growing) crescent Moon visible in the west just after sunset. By first quarter, the Moon is high in the sky at sunset and sets around midnight. The full Moon rises at sunset and is high in the sky at midnight. The third quarter Moon is often surprisingly conspicuous in the daylit western sky long after sunrise.Celestial north is up in these images, corresponding to the view from the northern hemisphere. The descriptions of the print resolution stills also assume a northern hemisphere orientation. (There is also a south-up version of this page.) The Moon's Orbit From this birdseye view, it's somewhat easier to see that the phases of the Moon are an effect of the changing angles of the sun, Moon and Earth. The Moon is full when its orbit places it in the middle of the night side of the Earth. First and Third Quarter Moon occur when the Moon is along the day-night line on the Earth.The First Point of Aries is at the 3 o'clock position in the image. The sun is in this direction at the March equinox. You can check this by freezing the animation at the 1:04 mark, or by freezing the full animation with the time stamp near March 20 at 4:00 UTC. This direction serves as the zero point for both ecliptic longitude and right ascension.The north pole of the Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees toward the 12 o'clock position at the top of the image. The tilt of the Earth is important for understanding why the north pole of the Moon seems to swing back and forth. In the full animation, watch both the orbit and the "gyroscope" Moon in the lower left. The widest swings happen when the Moon is at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. When the Moon is at the 3 o'clock position, the ground we're standing on is tilted to the left when we look at the Moon. At the 9 o'clock position, it's tilted to the right. The tilt itself doesn't change. We're just turned around, looking in the opposite direction. The subsolar and sub-Earth points are the locations on the Moon's surface where the sun or the Earth are directly overhead, at the zenith. A line pointing straight up at one of these points will be pointing toward the sun or the Earth. The sub-Earth point is also the apparent center of the Moon's disk as observed from the Earth.In the animation, the blue dot is the sub-Earth point, and the yellow dot is the subsolar point. The lunar latitude and longitude of the sub-Earth point is a measure of the Moon's libration. For example, when the blue dot moves to the left of the meridian (the line at 0 degrees longitude), an extra bit of the Moon's western limb is rotating into view, and when it moves above the equator, a bit of the far side beyond the north pole becomes visible.At any given time, half of the Moon is in sunlight, and the subsolar point is in the center of the lit half. Full Moon occurs when the subsolar point is near the center of the Moon's disk. When the subsolar point is somewhere on the far side of the Moon, observers on Earth see a crescent phase. The Moon's orbit around the Earth isn't a perfect circle. The orbit is slightly elliptical, and because of that, the Moon's distance from the Earth varies between 28 and 32 Earth diameters, or about 356,400 and 406,700 kilometers. In each orbit, the smallest distance is called perigee, from Greek words meaning "near earth," while the greatest distance is called apogee. The Moon looks largest at perigee because that's when it's closest to us.The animation follows the imaginary line connecting the Earth and the Moon as it sweeps around the Moon's orbit. From this vantage point, it's easy to see the variation in the Moon's distance. Both the distance and the sizes of the Earth and Moon are to scale in this view. In the HD-resolution frames, the Earth is 50 pixels wide, the Moon is 14 pixels wide, and the distance between them is about 1500 pixels, on average.Note too that the Earth appears to go through phases just like the Moon does. For someone standing on the surface of the Moon, the sun and the stars rise and set, but the Earth doesn't move in the sky. It goes through a monthly sequence of phases as the sun angle changes. The phases are the opposite of the Moon's. During New Moon here, the Earth is full as viewed from the Moon. Related pages
Moon Phase and Libration, 2016 South Up
Dec. 10th, 2015
Read moreWaxing crescent. Visible toward the northwest in early evening. First quarter. Visible high in the northern sky in early evening. Waxing gibbous. Visible to the northeast in early evening, up for most of the night. Full Moon. Rises at sunset, high in the sky around midnight. Visible all night. Waning gibbous. Rises after sunset, high in the sky after midnight, visible to the northwest after sunrise. Third quarter. Rises around midnight, visible to the north after sunrise. Waning crescent. Low to the east before sunrise. New Moon. By the modern definition, New Moon occurs when the Moon and Sun are at the same geocentric ecliptic longitude. The part of the Moon facing us is completely in shadow then. Pictured here is the traditional New Moon, the earliest visible waxing crescent, which signals the start of a new month in many lunar and lunisolar calendars. The phase and libration of the Moon for 2016, at hourly intervals. Includes supplemental graphics that display the Moon's orbit, subsolar and sub-Earth points, and the Moon's distance from Earth at true scale. Craters near the terminator are labeled. The phase and libration of the Moon for 2016 at hourly intervals, with music, titles, and supplemental graphics. Music provided by Killer Tracks Production Music. The phase and libration of the Moon for 2016, at hourly intervals. The higher resolution frames include an alpha channel. The orbit of the Moon in 2016, viewed from the south pole of the ecliptic, with the vernal equinox to the right. The sizes of the Earth and Moon are exaggerated by a factor of 15, 20, or 25, depending on the frame size. The frames include an alpha channel. An animated diagram of the subsolar and sub-Earth points for 2016. The Moon's north pole, equator, and meridian are indicated. The frames include an alpha channel. An animated diagram of the Moon's distance from the Earth for 2016. The sizes and distances are true to scale, and the lighting and Earth tilt are correct. The frames include an alpha channel. Crater labels. The labels appear when the center of the crater is within 20 degrees of the terminator (the day-night line). They are on the western edge of the crater during waxing phases (before Full Moon) and to the east during waning phases. The frames include an alpha channel. Dial-A-Moon Click on the image to download a high-resolution version with labels for craters near the terminator. The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file.The animation archived on this page shows the geocentric phase, libration, position angle of the axis, and apparent diameter of the Moon throughout the year 2016, at hourly intervals. Until the end of 2016, the initial Dial-A-Moon image will be the frame from this animation for the current hour.More in this series:Moon Phase and Libration GalleryLunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been in orbit around the Moon since the summer of 2009. Its laser altimeter (LOLA) and camera (LROC) are recording the rugged, airless lunar terrain in exceptional detail, making it possible to visualize the Moon with unprecedented fidelity. This is especially evident in the long shadows cast near the terminator, or day-night line. The pummeled, craggy landscape thrown into high relief at the terminator would be impossible to recreate in the computer without global terrain maps like those from LRO.The Moon always keeps the same face to us, but not exactly the same face. Because of the tilt and shape of its orbit, we see the Moon from slightly different angles over the course of a month. When a month is compressed into 24 seconds, as it is in this animation, our changing view of the Moon makes it look like it's wobbling. This wobble is called libration.The word comes from the Latin for "balance scale" (as does the name of the zodiac constellation Libra) and refers to the way such a scale tips up and down on alternating sides. The sub-Earth point gives the amount of libration in longitude and latitude. The sub-Earth point is also the apparent center of the Moon's disk and the location on the Moon where the Earth is directly overhead.The Moon is subject to other motions as well. It appears to roll back and forth around the sub-Earth point. The roll angle is given by the position angle of the axis, which is the angle of the Moon's north pole relative to celestial north. The Moon also approaches and recedes from us, appearing to grow and shrink. The two extremes, called perigee (near) and apogee (far), differ by more than 10%.The most noticed monthly variation in the Moon's appearance is the cycle of phases, caused by the changing angle of the Sun as the Moon orbits the Earth. The cycle begins with the waxing (growing) crescent Moon visible in the west just after sunset. By first quarter, the Moon is high in the sky at sunset and sets around midnight. The full Moon rises at sunset and is high in the sky at midnight. The third quarter Moon is often surprisingly conspicuous in the daylit western sky long after sunrise.Celestial south is up in these images, corresponding to the view from the southern hemisphere. The descriptions of the print resolution stills also assume a southern hemisphere orientation. (There is also a north-up version of this page.) The Moon's Orbit From this birdseye view, it's somewhat easier to see that the phases of the Moon are an effect of the changing angles of the sun, Moon and Earth. The Moon is full when its orbit places it in the middle of the night side of the Earth. First and Third Quarter Moon occur when the Moon is along the day-night line on the Earth.The First Point of Aries is at the 3 o'clock position in the image. The sun is in this direction at the March equinox. You can check this by freezing the animation at the 1:04 mark, or by freezing the full animation with the time stamp near March 20 at 4:00 UTC. This direction serves as the zero point for both ecliptic longitude and right ascension.The south pole of the Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees toward the 12 o'clock position at the top of the image. The tilt of the Earth is important for understanding why the north pole of the Moon seems to swing back and forth. In the full animation, watch both the orbit and the "gyroscope" Moon in the lower left. The widest swings happen when the Moon is at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. When the Moon is at the 3 o'clock position, the ground we're standing on is tilted to the left when we look at the Moon. At the 9 o'clock position, it's tilted to the right. The tilt itself doesn't change. We're just turned around, looking in the opposite direction. The subsolar and sub-Earth points are the locations on the Moon's surface where the sun or the Earth are directly overhead, at the zenith. A line pointing straight up at one of these points will be pointing toward the sun or the Earth. The sub-Earth point is also the apparent center of the Moon's disk as observed from the Earth.In the animation, the blue dot is the sub-Earth point, and the yellow dot is the subsolar point. The lunar latitude and longitude of the sub-Earth point is a measure of the Moon's libration. For example, when the blue dot moves to the left of the meridian (the line at 0 degrees longitude), an extra bit of the Moon's eastern limb is rotating into view, and when it moves above the equator, a bit of the far side beyond the south pole becomes visible.At any given time, half of the Moon is in sunlight, and the subsolar point is in the center of the lit half. Full Moon occurs when the subsolar point is near the center of the Moon's disk. When the subsolar point is somewhere on the far side of the Moon, observers on Earth see a crescent phase. The Moon's orbit around the Earth isn't a perfect circle. The orbit is slightly elliptical, and because of that, the Moon's distance from the Earth varies between 28 and 32 Earth diameters, or about 356,400 and 406,700 kilometers. In each orbit, the smallest distance is called perigee, from Greek words meaning "near earth," while the greatest distance is called apogee. The Moon looks largest at perigee because that's when it's closest to us.The animation follows the imaginary line connecting the Earth and the Moon as it sweeps around the Moon's orbit. From this vantage point, it's easy to see the variation in the Moon's distance. Both the distance and the sizes of the Earth and Moon are to scale in this view. In the HD-resolution frames, the Earth is 50 pixels wide, the Moon is 14 pixels wide, and the distance between them is about 1500 pixels, on average.Note too that the Earth appears to go through phases just like the Moon does. For someone standing on the surface of the Moon, the sun and the stars rise and set, but the Earth doesn't move in the sky. It goes through a monthly sequence of phases as the sun angle changes. The phases are the opposite of the Moon's. During New Moon here, the Earth is full as viewed from the Moon. Related pages
Earthrise: The 45th Anniversary
Dec. 20th, 2013
Read moreThe full video, with narration by Andrew Chaikin. You can also watch this video on the NASAexplorer YouTube channel. For complete transcript, click here.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. The central portion of the video, covering the real-time visualization synchronized with the onboard astronaut audio. An external view of the spacecraft as the Earth rises in the distance. The first frame corresponds to 10:37:19 a.m. Central Standard (Houston) Time, 16:37:19.0 Universal Time, and 75:46:19.0 Mission Elapsed Time. The frames cover an elapsed time of exactly three minutes. This frame set and several of the others are synchronized in time. An idealized view of Earth rising above the lunar terrain, using a focal length similar to the telephoto lens used for the Earthrise photographs. For the 1920 × 1080 frame set, the first frame corresponds to 75:47:06 MET, which is 47 seconds (1410 frames) later than the other synchronized frame sets. The 3840 × 2160 frame set covers the full three-minute interval starting at 75:46:19 MET. The three Earthrise photographs, scaled and rotated to match the telephoto view of the preceeding frame set. They correspond to frames 1092, 2814, and 3545 of the 1920 × 1080 frames, and to frames 2502, 4224, and 4955 of the 3840 × 2160 frames. The original photographs are AS08-13-2329, AS08-14-2383, and AS08-14-2384. A nadir view of the lunar surface, overlaid with Apollo 8 vertical stereo photographs. This frame set is synchronous with others that begin at 75:46:19 MET. It shows photos AS08-12-2135 through AS08-12-2144 on magazine D. The wide-angle view of the Moon and Earth through the right side window (window 5). These frames are synchronous with others that begin at 75:46:19 MET. The 1920 × 1080 frame set is partial, covering frames 2000 through 3800. The 3840 × 2160 frame set is complete. The wide-angle view of the Moon and Earth through the right rendezvous window (window 4). These frames are synchronous with others that begin at 75:46:19 MET. The 1920 × 1080 frame set is partial, covering frames 3600 to 5400. The 3840 × 2160 frame set is complete. The wide-angle view of the Moon and Earth through the hatch window (window 3). These frames are synchronous with others that begin at 75:46:19 MET. The window border for the right rendezvous window (window 4). The window border for the right side window (window 5). The window border for the hatch window (window 3). The head-up display of the time and the position and orientation of the spacecraft. These frames are synchronous with others that begin at 75:46:19 MET. A nose-on view of the spacecraft as it begins to roll. This highlights the positions of the windows relative to the roll direction. The frames are synchronous with other frame sets that begin at 75:46:19 MET, but the coverage is partial, from frame 540 to 900. A view of the spacecraft during an early orbit, showing that the windows faced away from Earth. Through high thin clouds, a naked-eye view of the Moon from Earth on December 24, 1968. The Moon is a waxing crescent in the constellation Aquarius. A telescopic view of the Moon from Earth as the spacecraft emerges from the far side. The position of the CSM is represented by a white dot, but the spacecraft could not be seen in even the most powerful telescopes. The lunar terrain rolls beneath the camera as it chases the spacecraft, seen from a great distance. A nose-on animated illustration of the command module showing the positions of the five windows. From left to right, the windows are numbered in descending order from 5 to 1. A view of the rolling spacecraft used in the video to call out the windows in which the Earth is visible. In December of 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first people to leave our home planet and travel to another body in space. But as crew members Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders all later recalled, the most important thing they discovered was Earth.Using photo mosaics and elevation data from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), this video commemorates the 45th anniversary of Apollo 8's historic flight by recreating the moment when the crew first saw and photographed the Earth rising from behind the Moon. Narrator Andrew Chaikin, author of A Man on the Moon, sets the scene for a three-minute visualization of the view from both inside and outside the spacecraft accompanied by the onboard audio of the astronauts.The visualization draws on numerous historical sources, including the actual cloud pattern on Earth from the ESSA-7 satellite and dozens of photographs taken by Apollo 8, and it reveals new, historically significant information about the Earthrise photographs. It has not been widely known, for example, that the spacecraft was rolling when the photos were taken, and that it was this roll that brought the Earth into view. The visualization establishes the precise timing of the roll and, for the first time ever, identifies which window each photograph was taken from.The key to the new work is a set of vertical stereo photographs taken by a camera mounted in the Command Module's rendezvous window and pointing straight down onto the lunar surface. It automatically photographed the surface every 20 seconds. By registering each photograph to a model of the terrain based on LRO data, the orientation of the spacecraft can be precisely determined.Andrew Chaikin's article Who Took the Legendary Earthrise Photo From Apollo 8? appeared in the January, 2018 issue of Smithsonian magazine. It includes the story of the making of this visualization.A Google Hangout discussion of this visualization between Ernie Wright (creator of the visualization), Andrew Chaikin, John Keller (LRO project scientist), and Aries Keck (NASA media specialist) was held on December 20, 2013. A replay of that hangout is available here.Ernie Wright presented a talk about the making of this animation at the 2014 SIGGRAPH Conference in Vancouver. He also wrote a NASA Wavelength blog entry about Earthrise that includes links to educator resources related to LRO. For More InformationSee [http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-releases-new-earthrise-simulation-video/](http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-releases-new-earthrise-simulation-video/) Related pages