2006-11-09 10:29:21 · 6 answers · asked by symone s 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Just as the moon can cause tides in the Earth's oceans due to gravity, the Earth can also cause tidal effects on the moon. Over time, these effects have caused the moon to become "tidally locked". This has the effect of causing the moon's rotation period to equal its revolution period. You can see this effect by having someone walk around you but looking directly at you. While they are facing you, the actual direction of their face changes as they move around you.
However, the moon's orbit is not perfectly circular. It is a slight ellipse so, sometimes, its rotation can get a little ahead or behind of its orbital position. Also the orbit is tilted with respect to the Earth's equator. These combine to allow us to see about 55 -60 % of the moon's surface during the orbit although, of course, we can only see half at any given time.
2006-11-09 10:40:15 · answer #1 · answered by eriurana 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the moon does't rotate onto itself like the earth, but keep rotating around the earth only showing always the same side.
2006-11-10 05:12:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
We do. the 1st (very undesirable high quality) photographs of the Moon's nearside have been made in 1840, and have been present day in an archive at NYU approximately 25 years in the past. the 1st undesirable high quality photographs of the farside have been made in 1959 by ability of a Soviet probe. just about the completed Moon grew to become into photographed by ability of the 5 Lunar Orbiter spacecraft 1965-sixty six. Lunar Reconaissance in the final 2 years did an entire job in extreme definition.
2016-10-21 13:40:16 · answer #3 · answered by wach 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The simple answer: The Moon rotates around its axis (around itself) at the same speed it orbits the Earth. Basically, it moves forward and turns at the same speed. Because of this, it always shows us the same side.
2006-11-09 13:52:13 · answer #4 · answered by schlance2003 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The side of the moon next to earth is heavier and thus it is gravity gradient which uses the heavy side always faces the earth.
2006-11-09 10:40:30 · answer #5 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
because when the moon orbits the earth it does not rotate itself just around the earth hence you only see one side
2006-11-09 10:33:41 · answer #6 · answered by gordon_benbow 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋