Limb

(glossary entry)

The outer limit of the Moon's surface potentially observable from a given site. If the Moon were uniformly illuminated, the limb would form a complete circle, but a bumpy one (due to the topography). In practice, a substantial part of the limb (about half) is usually in shadow ("beyond" the [/terminator terminator]), and hence not readily observable. Nonethless the presence of the limb at these locations is made apparent when the Moon moves over ("occults") a more distant celestial object. - JimMosher JimMosher

Additional Information

See also: [/Saber%27s%20Beads Saber's Beads] (a curious optical phenomenon related to the very young and extremely thin moon's crescent, or the very old (immediately after and/or before New Moon). - DannyCaes DannyCaes Feb 12, 2008

LPOD Articles

(mostly photographs and drawings made during favourable libration)

This "around the Moon's orb" list is an overview of Limb/ [/Librations Librations]-related LPODs, arranged in a "clockwise" fashion; running from the moon's North pole to the North-Eastern limb, the Eastern limb, the South-Eastern limb, the South pole, the South-Western limb, the Western limb, the North-Western limb, and finally to the North pole again.
- List compiled by Danny Caes.

The North pole region

(the north-northeastern limb region)
Beyond North (the [/north%20pole north pole] region during favourable libration).
Profile in Confusion ([/Cusanus Cusanus] and [/Petermann Petermann], sunset terminator).
Over the Pole (libration effects at the moon's north pole).

The Mare Humboldtianum region

Extreme limb ([/Mare%20Humboldtianum Mare Humboldtianum] during favourable libration, waxing crescent moon).
Edge World (the [/Hayn Hayn]-[/Bel%27kovich Bel'kovich]-[/Mare%20Humboldtianum Mare Humboldtianum] region during favourable libration).
A New Mare to Study (the [/Mare%20Humboldtianum Mare Humboldtianum] region during favourable libration).
Zoroaster (the [/Mare%20Humboldtianum Mare Humboldtianum] region during favourable libration, local sunset).
Peaking over the Limb (the telescopic visibility of the central peak of farside crater [/Compton Compton] during favourable libration).
Almost Dry ([/Mare%20Humboldtianum Mare Humboldtianum] during favourable libration).

The Gauss region

Gaussian Blur ([/Gauss Gauss] during local sunset).

The Joliot region

Out on a Gaussian Limb (the telescopic visibility of farside crater [/Joliot Joliot] during favourable libration).
Enhanced LPOD Out on a Gaussian Limb.

The Mare Marginis region

Beyond the Cat's Smile ("Lacus Risus Felis" and [/Mare%20Marginis Mare Marginis] during favourable libration). The unknown "crater" is just a portion of highland inmediately east of Dreyer ; Dreyer C sits on top of it - Nunki Nunki May 18, 2011

The Mare Smythii region

What's New? ([/Mare%20Smythii Mare Smythii] during favourable libration).
Out on a Limb (the [/Mare%20Smythii Mare Smythii] region during favourable libration, local sunset terminator).
Deep, Young and Ashy (the [/Mare%20Smythii Mare Smythii] region during favourable libration, local sunset terminator).

The Kästner region

Nomenclature Zoo (the [/K%C3%A4stner Kästner] region from [/Banachiewicz Banachiewicz] to [/Gibbs Gibbs], during local sunset).

The Humboldt region

Petavian View ([/Humboldt Humboldt] and limb during favourable libration).
Magnificent Side View ([/Humboldt Humboldt] and limb during favourable libration).
Howard's Atlas (the [/Humboldt Humboldt] region and limb during favourable libration).
On the Limb again (the [/Humboldt Humboldt] region during favourable libration).

The southeastern limb region

Convergence (the moon's southeastern limb).
Ring Eclipse (Saturn partially occulted by the moon's southeastern limb).

The Jenner region

Way Beyond the Limb (the [/Jenner Jenner] region during favourable libration).

The Lyot region

A Dome on the Limb ([/Lyot Lyot] during favourable libration, local sunset).

The Southpole region

Polar Classic (the [/south%20pole south pole] region, drawings by Ewen A. Whitaker).
Superb Response (the [/Boussingault Boussingault]-[/Helmholtz Helmholtz]-[/Neumayer Neumayer] region and limb during favourable libration).
No Z (alphabetically arranged map of the moon's [/south%20pole south pole] region, Hi-Res radar view).
Loftiest Peaks? (the peaks near the moon's [/south%20pole south pole], telescopic drawing by Phil Morgan).
Beyond the Polar Explorers (the [/south%20pole south pole] region during favourable libration).
What's in a Name (the [/south%20pole south pole] region during favourable libration).
On Top of the World (the [/south%20pole south pole] region during favourable libration).
Glistening (the [/south%20pole south pole] region and [/Clavius Clavius] during local sunset).

The Drygalski region

A Gift for the Holiday ([/Drygalski Drygalski] during favourable libration).
Edging along the Limb ([/Drygalski Drygalski] during favourable libration).
More Limb Peaks (the [/Drygalski Drygalski] region during favourable libration).
Limb Magic (the [/Bailly Bailly]-[/Drygalski Drygalski] sector during favourable libration).
Polar Triptych (the [/Drygalski Drygalski] region and environs during favourable libration).

The Bailly region

Especially Worthy of Scrutiny (the [/Bailly Bailly] region during favourable libration).
Red & Blue on the Limb (an anaglyph of the [/Bailly Bailly]-[/Hausen Hausen] region, made during favourable libration).

The Hausen region

A bigger Copernicus ([/Hausen Hausen] during very favourable libration).
Copernicus on the Limb ([/Hausen Hausen] during very favourable libration).

The Mare Orientale region

The Edge of a Bull's Eye ([/Mare%20Orientale Mare Orientale] during favourable libration, sunrise terminator, slightly before Full Moon).
Textured Contrasts ([/Mare%20Orientale Mare Orientale] during favourable libration).
Inside Orientale (the [/Mare%20Orientale Mare Orientale] region during favourable libration).
A Ring on Edge ([/Mare%20Orientale Mare Orientale] and [/Mare%20Pacificus Mare Pacificus] during favourable libration).
Overlooked (the [/Mare%20Orientale Mare Orientale] region during favourable libration, local sunrise).
Leaks (the Mare Orientale region during favourable libration).
Moon Woman (the [/Mare%20Orientale Mare Orientale] region and Carle Pieters).

The Hedin and Pierazzo region

Not the Dark Side (the extremely beautiful ray crater Pierazzo at 3°10' North/ 100° West, near farside crater [/Lents Lents]. This ray crater is perhaps (?) observable during VERY favourable libration. It is located "behind" [/Hedin Hedin]). See also LAC 72 in B.Bussey's and P.Spudis's [/Clementine%20Atlas Clementine Atlas].
Reply: yes, Pierazzo is observable; check this LPOD, the ray crater is visible almost at the limb, following the line that joins southern rims of Kepler and Reiner (see also discussion page) - Nunki Nunki May 29, 2011
Leaks (the dark-halo crater at 9° North/ 90° West, near farside crater [/Sundman Sundman]. This dark-halo crater is perhaps observable during favourable libration). See also LAC 55 and LAC 72 in B.Bussey's and P.Spudis's [/Clementine%20Atlas Clementine Atlas].

The Von Braun region

Sheet 8 (the [/Von%20Braun Von Braun] region and surroundings during favourable libration).

The northwestern limb region

Lonesome Limb Landmarks ([/R%C3%B6ntgen Röntgen]/ [/Brianchon Brianchon] during favourable libration).
Sub-Polar Marker (the moon's north-northwestern limb).
A Forgotten Corner (the moon's north-northwestern limb).

The North pole region

(the north-northwestern limb region)
A Mystery Crater ([/Hermite Hermite] and [/Lovelace Lovelace] during favourable libration).The bright rim crater identified as Lovelace is actually [/Rozhdestvenskiy Rozhdestvenskiy] K.- Nunki Nunki May 18, 2011
A New View of the Limb (the [/north%20pole north pole] region silhouetted against the sun).
Good Librations ([/Hermite Hermite] during favourable libration).
- Peter Lloyd's mountain (87.8 degrees north, 150 degrees west, on the rim of Rozhdestvenskiy). Mentioned by Peter Lloyd in Chuck Taylor's LUNAR OBSERVING group.

The whole moon's limb

([/Full%20Moon Full Moon], or only "half" of it (Waxing Crescent/ First Quarter/ Waxing Gibbous/ Waning Gibbous/ Last Quarter/ Waning Crescent)
Repackaging the Moon (the Waxing Crescent Moon's limb).

MISCELLANY pages

John Moore created (and added) interesting looks at (and investigations of) several of the Moon's limb regions in his MISCELLANY pages (an appendix to the daily LPOD's):
 [/LPOD%20Miscellany Miscellany 1]
 [/Miscellany2 Miscellany 2]
 [/Miscellany3 Miscellany 3]

Bibliography

All books and atlases about the moon.

This page has been edited 1 times. The last modification was made by - tychocrater tychocrater on Jun 13, 2009 3:24 pm - mgx2

Limb

Contents

Limb

Table of Contents

Description

Additional Information

LPOD Articles

The North pole region

The Mare Humboldtianum region

The Gauss region

The Joliot region

The Mare Marginis region

The Mare Smythii region

The Kästner region

The Humboldt region

The southeastern limb region

The Jenner region

The Lyot region

The Southpole region

The Drygalski region

The Bailly region

The Hausen region

The Mare Orientale region

The Hedin and Pierazzo region

The Von Braun region

The northwestern limb region

The North pole region

The whole moon's limb

MISCELLANY pages

Bibliography

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