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"description": "The lunar South Pole will be the target of both robotic and human exploration missions in the coming years, and the timing of their arrival will be driven by, among other things, the seasonal ebb and flow of available sunlight there. Both the Earth and the Moon experience seasons caused by their axial tilt relative to the Sun. But while the Earth is tilted 23.5°, the tilt of the Moon is a mere 1.5°, making its seasonal changes quite subtle. As on Earth, the largest effect is at the poles.
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The complete seasonal cycle on the Moon is its draconic year of about 346.6 Earth days. This is shorter than an Earth year because the Moon's orbit plane rotates once every 18.6 years, and its axis precesses at the same rate, bringing each season around somewhat faster than it would arrive otherwise.",
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"description": "A comparison of the summer (left) and winter axis tilt of the Moon. The red line is a vertical reference. The light blue line is the Moon's rotation axis.",
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"title": "Illumination at the Moon's South Pole to 80°S, 2025 to 2028",
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