Due to the phenomenon of libration, what approximate percentage of the Moon's total surface can eventually be seen from Earth?
Answer
About 59%
While tidal locking strictly dictates that 50% of the Moon is always facing away from Earth, the Moon's motion is not perfectly uniform. Slight variations in its orbit and axial tilt lead to a phenomenon called libration. Libration, which includes movements along latitude, longitude, and even diurnal shifts, allows ground-based observers to periodically peer slightly around the Moon's edges over time. This subtle shifting means that over the course of a lunar month, approximately 59% of the Moon's entire surface area eventually comes into view.
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