Do You Ever Wonder? - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

01/27/2011 08:16:50 PM · #1

Do You Ever Wonder? Feel free to ask your own questions.

Why does our Moon not rotate?

Are there other celestial bodies that don't rotate, other than the gaseous ones?

I recall hearing of some drilling operation that struck some objects at around 500 feet or so and they thought it might be a buried city. Anyone else hear of this?

Message edited by author 2011-01-27 20:50:50.

RainMotorsports

Nikon D60

01/27/2011 08:38:34 PM · #2

I was gonna say who put fail tags in the title, I wouldn't even believe they'd work anyways. But now that I see it in the thread it was mistyped anyways.

I actually made the assumption a long time ago that the fact that its influenced constantly by the gravity from two bodies instead of just one might be the answer. Our gravity and the sun's. But I actually think I am wrong because there are other things that effect rotation. Its not abnormal for an orbiting mass to not rotate though.

Message edited by author 2011-01-27 20:38:53.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

01/27/2011 08:45:32 PM · #3

I sometimes wonder how come the DPC member that lives in the same city as myself is one I have never met in person.

01/27/2011 08:49:30 PM · #4

You were never home when I "Visited" :)

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

01/27/2011 08:51:51 PM · #5

Thanks Rain...I ask sc to fix but they may not.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

01/27/2011 08:56:11 PM · #6

So that's where all the beer went!

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

01/27/2011 09:18:47 PM · #7

The Moon does rotate. In fact, the Moon takes 27.3 days to turn once on its axis. But the Moon also takes 27.3 days to complete one orbit around the Earth. Because the Moonâ��s rotation time is exactly the same amount of time it takes to complete an orbit, it always presents the same face to the Earth, and one face away.

Now, the interesting part: why does the Moon spin about its axis at the same rate it orbits? In the distant past, the Earth's tidal pull on the Moon slowed the Moon's rotation to match the time it takes to go around Earth.

Message edited by author 2011-01-27 21:19:44.

Dr.Confuser

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/27/2011 09:28:16 PM · #8

Gas giants do rotate.

ambaker

Google Glass Google Glass

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

01/27/2011 09:36:26 PM · #9

Late with the answer...

Message edited by author 2011-01-27 21:37:30.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

01/27/2011 09:37:27 PM · #10

Originally posted by Dr.Confuser:

Gas giants do rotate.

Indeed, I spun around to see who was behind me just a moment ago! ;-)

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

01/27/2011 09:41:17 PM · #11

Yep, the moon is tidally locked as pointed out. It's not unusual, in fact many moons in our solar system are tidally locked with their planet.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

01/27/2011 10:50:07 PM · #12

That's pretty "tidy".
I'm guessing that the distribution of mass within the moon may have something to do with it's orientation and period of rotation being what it is.
Since gravity is operating toward the Earth on the side we see, I wonder if that's causing more space debris to impact the far side of the Moon than on the side we see?

Message edited by author 2011-01-27 22:53:41.