Is it true that the moon does not revolve around the Earth, but rather the sun?

Question

I read that the Earth and Moon just "dance" together around the Sun. I'm not sure what that means?

Answer 1

The Earth rotates around the sun once per year. While this happens, the moon rotates around the Earth once per (roughly) 28 days. Thus, both the Earth and moon “dance” around each other during the annual trip around the sun.

Answer 2

Yes.

For ease of understanding it is explained as the moon going around the earth, but that ends in 6th grade or so.

The Moon and the earth revolve around the sun, the moon trails the earth as the earth is larger. If the moon actually went around the earth while the earth is moving forwards at some point it would have to change direction and move backwards relative to the rotation of both bodies around the sun, then turn around speed up to catch up with the earth and start all over again.

To better explain the concept I've included a .gif here you can see that the moon never goes 'around' the earth, although it appears that way to us. http://tinyurl.com/pl9gc

BTW I should add that the same is true about the earth 'revolving' around the sun, the path of the earth and the sun are pretty much the same as depicted for the earth and the moon.

[edited to add a comment on JSanchez response]

“ if the moon revolved around the Earth it will be hidden have the time. But it rotates simultaneously around the Earth which only permits us from seeing ONLY ONE SIDE of the Moon. Interesting huh?”

Although the answer is correct the explanation is not. That would be true if the moon was supposed to go around the earth every day, that is not the case. The moon’s ‘rotation’ around the earth takes 28 days, and so does the rotation of the moon around itself, that is why we only see one side of the moon.

Answer 3

The Moon revolves around the Earth, but it also revolves around the sun in Earth's wake. The Earth just revolves around the sun.

Answer 4

hypernova's answer is best.

Both the Earth and the Moon orbit the point in space that is the center of mass for the Earth-Moon system. That point orbits the Sun. That point lies inside the Earth, so it could be said that the Moon orbits the Earth.

If you're looking at things from the Sun's point of view, with the Earth removed, the Moon is orbiting the Sun in a very 'wobbly' orbit. If you remove the Moon, the Earth is orbiting the Sun in a slightly 'wobbly' orbit.

The main point in looking at the Moon's orbit from the Sun's point of view with the Earth removed is to explain the why the Moon seems to vary it's inclination so much instead of orbiting around the Earth's equator.

The Moon's orbit around the Earth is only separated from the ecliptic plane (plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun) by about 5 degrees. Eventually, it should settle into the same plane as the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

From the Earth's point of view, that makes the Moon's orbit look kind of strange. The Earth is tilted about 23.4 degrees relative to the ecliptic plane, but the orientation of the Moon's orbit around the Earth can vary from 18 to 28 degrees.

Answer 5

The moon revolves around the earth. The earth and moon together revolve around the sun. The sun and planets revolve together around the center of the galaxy.

Answer 6

Actually, yes, in the sense that the moon's path is never concave with respect to the sun. This arises because (in comparison with the distance to the sun) the moon is close to the earth, and its revolution about the earth is relatively slow. If either of these were sufficiently false, the moon's path would look like a bent cycloid (rather than like a circle with some slight wiggles), which would be concave with respect to the sun in some portions.

Answer 7

Yes it is true. I took astronomy classes in college and the moon does not revolve around the earth. One quick way to prove it is that if you look at the sky during the daytime you will 95% of the time see the moon. HENCE if the moon revolved around the Earth it will be hidden have the time. But it rotates simultaneously around the Earth which only permits us from seeing ONLY ONE SIDE of the Moon. Interesting huh? look it up

Answer 8

the moon revolves around the earth; with the moon spinning around it, the earth (w/ the revolving moon) revolves around the sun.

The moon and the earth do not revolve around each other; the smaller object (moon) revolves around the larger object (planet earth). The planethood of pluto has come into question since its moon, charon (almost the same size) both revolve around an intermediate point resembling a twin system.

Answer 9

Both. The moon around the earth and the earth/moon around the sun.

Answer 10

It does not revolve directly around the sun. It revolves around the earth and earth revolves around the sun. This makes the moon to revolve around the sun in a spring coil like orbit not a straight elliptical orbit like other planets.