The earth rotates once every 24 hours, the moon doesn't rotate at all, leaving it a dark side, and a side we cannot see at all.
2007-02-21 23:25:27 · 9 answers · asked by viaduct 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Actually, it is rotating on its axis. It's just much slower than earth, about once every 30 days. That's why one always sees the same face of the moon - its rotation is timed with its orbit.
2007-02-21 23:30:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Moon does not have a "dark" side, it has a far side. The Dark Side of the Moon was a concept album by Pink Floyd but it has no relevance to the Earth's satellite.
The Moon is tidally locked with the Earth and rotates about its axis once every 29 days or so, always keeping the same side facing the Earth. The far side of the Moon gets just as much sunlight every month as the earth side.
2007-02-22 01:09:56 · answer #2 · answered by tentofield 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Moon is tidally locked to the Earth. When two rotating bodies orbit each other, they raise tides in each other. These tides cause mechanical friction. So tidal activity absorbs a lot of energy out of the rotational energy of the bodies. In other words, the energy in the form of rotational inertia is partially converted into tidal, geophysical changes in the bodies involved. The Moon's rotational inertia has been exhausted, converted into geophysical change in the Earth and Moon. The Moon, being much smaller than the Earth, long ago dissipated enough energy to lose rotation so that its tidal bulges are now always aligned with the gravitational pull of the Earth. The Earth still raises a tide in the Moon but it is in a balanced, steady state now and does not stretch the rock any more.Thus there's no more spin for the Moon to give up.
2007-02-21 23:33:34 · answer #3 · answered by arup s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Moon rotates on its axis as does the Earth.
The Moon orbits the Earth in 27.3 days and rotates around its axis in 27.3 days. This synchronization in the orbital and rotation period causes the Moon to always present the same side towards Earth.
2007-02-22 00:25:33 · answer #4 · answered by Tenebra98 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the moon does rotate on its axis, but it rotates on its axis at the same speed that it rotates around the earth (28-29 days), that is why we always see the same side of the moon every time
2007-02-22 14:26:55 · answer #5 · answered by mcdonaldcj 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The moon does rotate on its axis, but its rotation has over the millenia been synchronised by tidal drag to its orbit around the Earth, such that it always has the same face to the Earth.
Effectively that means it rotates once per lunar month.
2007-02-21 23:31:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the earth spins on it's axis due it's shape, which is caused by the heavy core of the earth, the moon doesn't have this
2007-02-21 23:53:01 · answer #7 · answered by marjorie-anne g 1 · 0⤊ 5⤋
no gravity for it to rotate, it use earth gravition to axixnate i guess
2007-02-22 00:40:07 · answer #8 · answered by BlackIce Mikel 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
ur wrong the moon rotates that's y everyone can c the moom
2007-02-21 23:35:02 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋