2007-07-03 06:15:02 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It is in fact very common that moons' orbits become synchronized. The reason for that has to do, of course, with gravity. Most moons are not homogeneous, by that I mean that their mass is not uniformly distributed among it's volume. So even if they are spherical their center of mass is not in it's geometric center, what does that mean? Well since the moon is spinning around a planet, and the planet pulls the moon in, the force of attraction is 'stronger' when the heavy of side is the moon pointing towards the planet, so after Milena it eventually slows down enough so the 'heavy' side of the moon is always pointing towards the planet. the same happens with Io in Jupiter.
2007-07-03 06:18:31 · answer #1 · answered by ΛLΞX Q 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The moon now rotates in almost the same time it takes to orbit the Earth once due to the physics of orbital mechanics.
Its called "tidal locking" and will happen to any object orbiting closely enough to another that is significantly more massive.
All of the gas giants' close moons are tidally locked as well as our own moon.
Its a long explanation, so if you google "tidal locking" you're bound to find information on this.
2007-07-03 15:02:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is called synchronous rotation and is common in objects that orbit each other for any length of time. Tidal forces cause the Moon's rotation to slow and eventually match the Earth's. We see mostly one side of the Moon. We see a little on either side of hemisphere that faces us due to slight variations in the rotation (librations). So, we end up actually being able to see a little less than 60% of the Moon's entire surface from the Earth.
2007-07-03 06:24:27 · answer #3 · answered by N E 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes it can happen. It does happen. That is why the same side of the Moon always faces Earth even though the Moon is always going around the Earth. And it is not just a coincidence. Tidal friction has forced the Moon to do this.
2007-07-03 09:19:49 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the same way that the moon causes tides here on Earth, Earth causes a much larger tidal force on the moon, even though there's no oceans there. At one time, the moon's rotation was faster, but tidal forces from Earth over billions of years have robbed the energy.
2007-07-03 06:25:55 · answer #5 · answered by Gary H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it can. You are obviously not a student of astronomy.
The Moon got its matching rotation from accretion of a disc-arc of hot material that was separated from the Earth by a primeordial heavy impact with a planetary object about the size of Mars.
Please feel free to research this, as I am not going to sit here and try to draw you a picture over the next half-hour.
2007-07-03 06:23:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Of course it can happen. The moon is affected by earths gravity. Just about every moon in the solarsystem is gravitationally locked to its parent planet in the same way.
2007-07-03 06:23:50 · answer #7 · answered by DrAnders_pHd 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's called being tidally locked. It's very common. Another example is Europa. Europa is tidally locked to Jupiter, so one face of that moon always faces Jupiter.
2007-07-03 06:28:08 · answer #8 · answered by Egghead 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It wasn't always like that, but gravity made it become like that. It's not just a coincidence that we can only see one side of the moon. There's nothing magical or mystical about it.
2007-07-03 06:27:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was not always like this but they have been synchronised by natural forces because the moon is not perfectly spherical.
2007-07-03 06:18:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋