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Astro Methods: Earth's Nutation Visualized

Curated by ACT

Nutation is a small cyclical motion superimposed upon the steady 26,000-year precession of the Earth's axis of rotation. It is mainly caused by the gravitational effect of the 18.6-year rotation period of the Moon's orbit. The main component of this 18.6-year oscillation is illustrated clearly in the graphs below.

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nutation cycles, nutation knot, earth's nutation, earth's axis, rotation, and tilt
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  • Knovation Readability Score: 4 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)