I understand, I think, why the earth and most planets rotate on their axises. Why do the planets that don't rotate behave in that fashion and why does the earth's moon not rotate on its axis?
2007-02-25 04:59:35 · 3 answers · asked by Chef Dane 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It is most probable that none rotating bodies started out without any rotation and as they condensed under gravitational pull there was no resultant momentum which would have been conserved and caused the body to rotate. You are wrong when you say the moon has not rotation. It has rotation but due to tidal effects between earth and moon the rotation is the same as the time it takes to make one trip around the earth, this is why we see the same side of the moon all the time. The start of the rotation of a gas cloud is thought to have occurred when a star 'near' the gas cloud novaed and the rapidly moving stellar matter imparted a spin to the cloud.
2007-02-25 05:11:09 · answer #1 · answered by Tom M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The planet Uranus' axis of rotation is tipped almost 90 degrees, probably due to an impact by a large (Earth-sized body) long ago. The moon is tidally locked with the Earth by gravity so that the same side faces the Earth as she revolves around her.
2007-02-25 05:11:34 · answer #2 · answered by stargazergurl22 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, all planets and moons rotate.
The moon, for example, has a peroid of rotation that equals it's period of revoulaton. That is why one face always faces the earth.
Tidal forces casued this. For more information, try badastronomy.com
2007-02-25 05:16:30 · answer #3 · answered by Walking Man 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋