Does the moon spin on it's axis?

Question

I know the earth spins approx once a day but does the moon?

Answer 1

Yes the moon does rotate on an axis, like the Earth. What's interesting is the Moon's rate of rotation rate is equivalent to it's orbital rate around the Earth. This is why we always see the same face of the Moon from Earth.

This isn't by coincidence. The Moon is said to be "Tidal locked" with the Earth. This occurred because the moon, like the Earth, isn't a perfect sphere. Hence, the Earth's Gravity doesn't exert a simple "central" force on the Moon, but also a torque. This torque tends to favor a specific orientation of the moon the way Gravity pulls a pendulum into its equilibrium position.

If at some time in the distant past the Moon rotated faster. Each time it wasn't in the "preferred" orientation, tidal-stress due to Earth's Gravitational field compressed and stretched the moon just a little. This process created frictional which acted to dampen out it's motion. Hence, once the Moon's rotation rate slowed enough to keep it in the preferred orientation it became "Tidal Locked."

Answer 2

The moon does spin on its axis. But it also rotates around the Earth. By coincidence, the spinning of the moon is in the correct proportion to the rate of its orbit that the same part of the moon always faces the Earth. (If it didn't rotate, then whatever is facing away from the Earth at one point in the orbit would be facing directly towards the Earth half way through the orbit).

I'm not sure of the details, but I'd guess at it not being exact, and so maybe the part of the moon facing the Earth rotates a little each year, but not enough to be obvious to the naked eye.

Answer 3

Yes, the moon spins on its axis. If you hold a ball tight with an "x" marked on it at arm's length then rotate your body one turn, the "x" will have faced in all directions (360 degrees) while you turn even though it constantly faces you. An observer in outer space (Mars?) could see all sides of the moon. Of course the moon does not spin like a top (as does the earth). Its spin is synchronized with the rotation of the earth. If the earth evaporated, the moon would continue to spin, due to its angular momentum, but there would be no mass (earth) to orbit about. The moon spins on its vertical axis. If it spun on a horizontal axis we could see the difference, right? Hope that helps a little.

Answer 4

Yes, like everyone has already said, it is tidally locked to the earth. This is not due to the moon being asymmetric, but rather due to the earths gravity turning the moon into an oval, just like the moon causes ocean tides on earth, the earth causes "rock tides" on the moon. If the moon's rotation got out of phase with it's orbit, the friction caused by the tidal force in the moon would quickly dissipate any excess rotational kinetic energy, thus keeping the moon's orbit and rotation in phase.

Actually the same effect is causing the earths rotation to slow down. Eventually only one hemisphere of the globe will ever be able to see the moon and in order to have a romantic moonlit walk on the beach, you may have to fly half way around the world. Hopefully the best views of the moon will be in nice locations, Antarctica is not the best place for a night on the beach.

Answer 5

Yes, the moon spins on its axis.
However, please note that it does one rotation in about 28 or 29 days, the same amount of time it takes for the moon to go around the earth.
The result being that it always has the same side facing the earth. We never get to see the other side.

Answer 6

Actually, the moon does spin around its axis. It does so once every time it orbits the earth, that's why it always has the same side facing the earth.

Answer 7

I spins about 28 times slower than the earth which is exactly the same time it takes to orbit once around the earth - not a coincidence but too hard to explain here.
Just as something to think about the earth spins once every 23h56m - once you understand why a midday-midday is 4 mins longer you will understand why we always see the same face of the moon.
Think about it....

Answer 8

Yes the moon spins at the same speed that it revolves around the earth so that the same side always faces us, about 28 days.

Answer 9

No. The moon is is synchronous rotation it somewhat is why it keeps an identical face in the route of the earth in any respect circumstances. It does, in spite of the indisputable fact that, have a mild wobble over it really is 27.3 day cycle is common with as Libration.

Answer 10

Yes the moon spins.Its rate of turn is exactly the right speed so that as it orbits the earth we only ever see one side.