what determines the spin of an astronomical body?

Answer 1

The spin of a planetary body can be influenced by a number of forces. Spin can be imparted to a planet by the motion of the cosmic clouds that formed into planets. Spin can also be imparted to an object by a large body impacting them.

One of the leading theories on the creation of the Moon also explains a great deal the rotation of the Earth. The theory states that the Earth was impacted by a proto-planet around the same size as Mars. When this occurs a greater deal or rotational inertia was imparted to the Earth and set it spinning on it's current axis, the impact eject mass into Earth orbit which eventually converged to form our moon. The Theory doesn't state specifically if the Earth had rotation before impact but advanced computer simulations have validated the theory under both conditions.

Because the Earth and Moon are both orbiting a point below the Earths surface, but not in the center of the Earth, force are acting on both bodies that have actually slowed the rotation of both bodies. Today the Moon rotates at the same rate it obits the Earth, thus always showing the same face of the moon to the Earth. The Earths rotation is also slowing down, some estimates have placed the length of a day millions of year ago at 12 hours.

Answer 2

Do you mean, like a planet?

Planets are formed when the dust circling a star falls together from its own gravity. The planet spins in the same direction as the dust was circling the star. That's why, for example, all the planets in our solar system go around the Sun in the same direction, and most of them spin around their poles in the same direction.

Venus and Uranus are exceptions -- Uranus spin axis is tilted 90 degrees, so it is parallel to its orbit. This might have been caused by a collision with some other proto-planet, that knocked Uranus on its side, billions of years ago.

For Venus also, its reversed spin is best explained by a collision billion of years ago. Perhaps the asteroid 2002 VE68 is part of the remains of this collision.

Answer 3

Astronomical bodies are supposed to be formed from dust clouds resulting from star catastrophes and other cosmological phenomena. Those big clouds are spinning (to be fixed in relation with the far fixed stars will be an exception), and it is that momentum which is transmitted to the final bodies that are formed from the original cloud.
This is for instnce the way it is supposed our solar system is formed.

Answer 4

that is a sturdy concept yet i'm no longer effective how far wind can bypass without gravity. There are dirt storms on planets notwithstanding they don't create power. that is a sturdy learn challenge to verify the volume of wind as all of us recognize it in outer area. photo voltaic flares deliver power waves to earth and can want to reason wind as well.

Answer 5

Nobody knows why one body rotates fast and another slow. It is like the weather that way. Billions of complex interactions will either make a cloudy day or a clear day, but nobody can give a good reason why today is cloudy instead of clear, or tell for sure if this same day next year will be cloudy.