why do we only see 1 side of the moon? dosnt the moon rotate?

Answer 1

I like your question.

The Moon does rotate [spin] just like the Earth and other planets.

The Moon also orbits the Earth [goes around it in a circle [actually an elipse]].

The cool thing is the orbit and rotation of the Moon are synchronized so that the side of the Moon facing the Earth always faces the Earth.

It takes just as long for the Moon to go around the Earth as it does for the Moon to rotate on its axis.

Get a basketball and a tennis ball.

The basketball is Earth; the tennis ball is the Moon.

Mark the tennis ball with an "x" and face the x towards the basketball, and place the tennis ball in the 12:00 position.

The x is pointing down.

Now move the ball to the 9:00 position, with the x still facing the basketball.

The x is pointing right.

Not move the ball to the 6:00 postion, with the x still facing the basketball.

The x is pointing up.

Now move the ball to the 3:00 position, with the x still facing the basketball.

The x is pointing left.

Now move the ball to the 12:00 position, with the x still facing the basketball.

The x is pointing down [again].

What happened?

As you moved the tennis ball around the basketball [counter-clockwise], the x always faced the basketball. As it made its "orbit" the tennis ball was turning [facing down, right, up, left and down again]. So the tennis ball also rotated [counter-clockwise] on its axis.

This is a model of how the Moon rotates and orbits, keeping the same side of the Moon always facing Earth.

Answer 2

It DOES rotate! It just rotates at exactly the same rate as it orbits the earth!! (This is about once every 28 days... NOT 24 hours!!)

Imagine watching a dog chase a squirrel onto a tree. If you stand at a distance, you'll see the squirrel run up onto the bark of the tree trunk and then as the dog runs around the tree to see the squirrel, the squirrel will scamper around to the other side, always staying clear of the dog.

Now, consider the geometry of the squirrels movement. It's belly is always facing toward the bark of the tree. If the tree were a transparent tube and you were standing inside it, all you would be able to see is the squirrel's belly. However, from the point of view of being away from the tree, if you could see through a transparent trunk, then you would see all the sides of the squirrel as it ran around. When the squirrel is on your side of the tree, you see its back, when its on the far side of the tree, you see its belly, and when its to the side, you see one or the other of its flanks.

The squirrel, like the moon, is doing a compound movement. It is both rotating and translating (moving) through space. On the surface of the earth, we are at a "priveledged" position relative to the moon's movement. We are at the only place where we can see just one surface! Everywhere else in the solar system is faced by all of the moon's sides.

Answer 3

The grasp the earth has on the moon keeps its one face toward the earth. It does not rotate relative to us.

Answer 4

does it rotate on an axis with a pole facing the earth.....does that fly in the face of scientists who say that the earth and moon were created from swirling clouds of dust and gas? If that were so wouldn't the earth and moon be rotation witheir axes oriented the same way.... just wondering

Answer 5

because the moon revolves at the same speed that it rotates so by the time that we see it again, it has done a turn.

Answer 6

the moon does rotate it's just out for one part of the world at a time
the other part has the sun out

Answer 7

Yes..
I rotates once every 24 earth hours..
Same speed as the earth..
Therefore it always shows the same side to the earth...

Answer 8

because we are on this side