LIBRATION

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

(astronomy) a real or apparent slow oscillation of a moon or satellite

Example:

the libration of the moon

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("libration" is a kind of...):

variation ((astronomy) any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite (especially a perturbation of the earth's moon))

oscillation (the process of oscillating between states)

Domain category:

astronomy; uranology (the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole)

Derivation:

librate (vibrate before coming to a total rest)