Why does the moon always show us the same face,?

Answer 1

Because it has a real slow rotation around the earth (1 rotation per revolution) as opposed to the earth around the sun (365 rotations per revolution)

It looks like its not rotating, but it is.

take something round like an orange or something, make an X on it. try to make it go around you while still showing the X...you'll see that you'll need to rotate it slowly as you move it around you

Answer 2

Man, some of these answers really make me want to tear some heads off. Everybody is saying we can't see the far side of the moon because it's rotational speed is equal to it's revolutional speed.

I know what you're asking though, and you're wondering why those two speeds are equal. One of the "leading" theories is that tidal locking has caused it. The same gravitational forces that cause the tides slowed the moons rotation down until the heavier side of the moon was always facing us. I put "leading" in quotes because most "leading" theories these days are stupid, including this one.

If gravitational forces caused this locking, then why does Venus always show the same side towards us when we pass close to it? The real reason why we are locked with Venus and the moon is electromagnetics. The same currents that cause the solar "wind" (a misleading term since it acts more like an electric current than wind) have locked the moon down with Earth.

In order to understand it, you first have to realize that the Sun is not undergoing fusion in the core, like the "leading" theory states. Instead, the Sun is more like the filament in a light bulb and lights up when this huge current flowing through space passes over it. This is why the Sun rotates faster at the equator, and the solar wind accelerates away from it. This is also why sunspots reveal a cooler interior of the Sun, instead of something much hotter like the "leading" theory says it should be.

These same currents also pass through the Earth and all the other planets, but since the majority of this flow is through the Sun everything spins around it. The energy flows from South to North, as you can see with the right thumb test. Your right thumb points up (the direction of the current) and your fingers curl in the direction the magnetic field spins.

I don't know why scientists haven't discovered the electrical nature of the Universe yet. Everywhere we look in space we see the workings of magnetic fields and plasma filaments. We've observed double-helix galaxies as well, just like our DNA, so this should kind of tip us off to the big theory of everything scientists are looking for.

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Also, what the hell is this guy below me talking about? The rotation of the moon on its axis is equal to how long it takes it to revolve around the Earth. This is why it is always showing us the same side. What he wants to know is why the moon does this.
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Answer 3

The last answer is accurate but these measures mix with it too.
As the moon is pulled around the Earth. It's kinda like having a ball on a rope.
The side that is connected to the rope is the side we see. 1
The other side is what we do not see. 2
Sling it around you like the Earth does the moon.
Because the Earth had hold of side 1 it points the string attached side towards the Earth so we this side all the time.
See the answer above this one has another rule to the planetary orbit physics.
That other answer: Draft from above.


The Moon takes 27 days 7 hours and 43 minutes to go round the earth. In EXACTLY this period, it also completes one rotation on its axis. This is the ONLY reason we see the same side of the moon. Its not a theory nor is it guesswork, its an exact science!

Same principles are used to maintain Geo-stationery communication satellites directly above very specific cordinates on the earth's surface. Because the satellite moves at exactly the same speed as the speed of rotation of the earth on its axis.

Answer 4

If your question is why the same side of the moon faces the earth always its, Because the period of Rotation (how fast it spins on its axis) is the same as its period of Revolution (how long it takes to go around the earth). Here is a better explaination.

Since the Moon's orbit centers on the Earth, rather than the Sun, it would be a little confusing to think of the Moon's orbit as a "year". Instead, this cycle of the Moon orbiting the Earth is much closer to our calendar system of "months". It takes 27.322 days (or 655.728 hours) for the Moon to orbit (Revolve around) the Earth. If that number looks familiar, it's because the orbital period of the Moon is exactly the same as its rotational period.

This is the reason we can never see the far side of the Moon from Earth--it's always facing away from us.

Answer 5

The Moon takes 27 days 7 hours and 43 minutes to go round the earth. In EXACTLY this period, it also completes one rotation on its axis. This is the ONLY reason we see the same side of the moon. Its not a theory nor is it guesswork, its an exact science!

Same principles are used to maintain Geo-stationery communication satellites directly above very specific cordinates on the earth's surface. Because the satellite moves at exactly the same speed as the speed of rotation of the earth on its axis.

Answer 6

The Moon is in synchronous rotation, meaning that it keeps the same face turned to the Earth at all times

Answer 7

The moon rotates at the same speed as the Earth so you always see the same side of it

Answer 8

the man in the moon and if we could all be like that the same face all the time!!1

Answer 9

This is follow up to my previous answer.

as long as moon rotates around its so called vertical axis irrespective how fast or how slow it does it has to show its all sides to earth. it is impossible to show just one side. unless the definition of rotation means something else.

if moon rotates around its horizontal axis it is possible to always hide one side.


My initial writing:

I am not convinced with the explanation.

as long as moon rotates on its vertical axis then we should be able to see both faces of moon ( means all sides of moon ). If moon rotates around its horizontal axis then we will always see the same side of moon. I assume moon rotates around its vertical axis as usual for most of the planets/ satellites that means it has to show its both faces to earth.

whether it rotates slow or fast or equal to its rotation around earth, how is it possible we do not see the other side if it rotates.

let me explain; for example moon has 2 faces X and Y.

let us consider at this moment X is facing earth. during rotation the Y has to face earth at some point agree? otherwise why we consider moon is rotating? what is the definition of rotation?

I agree that an area on earth will always face same face of moon but it is not equivalent to a statemt that " earth looks at the same face of moon always"

could somebody make it bit more clear?

Answer 10

I have finally "got" it. Forget about the Earth for a moment. Think about what the moon does in relation to the Sun, in the space of a "month" (27.3 days). In relation to the Sun, it completes one revolution on it's axis, in a big, month long (27.3 days) circle. Inside that circle, is the Earth, doing it's own spinning, 27.3 times to the Moon's 1.

Answer 11

Because it takes the same amount of time to spin on its axis as it does to revolve around the Earth.