Why Do We See The Same Side Of The Moon Every Time
Camila Farah
The simple answer is that we only see one side of the moon because the moon rotates around the earth at the exact same angular speed in fact it s not exactly true we ll talk about it later too as it rotates around its own axis so that the same side of the moon is constantly facing the surface of the earth.
This is because the moon turns once on its axis in the same time that it circles the earth. This is called libration and it allows us to see 59 percent of the moon over time instead of just 50 percent. Yes the moon can be visible on opposite sides of the earth for two reasons. This motion is called synchronous rotation.
Unlike the earth which rotates 365 times during each rotation around the sun the moon only rotates once. The reason why only one side of the moon is visible from earth because the moon s gravity is tidaly locked by the earth s gravity. Former career in technology retired. The moon keeps the same face pointing towards the earth because its rate of spin is tidally locked so that it is synchronized with its rate of revolution the time needed to complete one orbit.
Answered march 23 2018 author has 1 1k answers and 1 2m answer views. This means the moon rotates around its axis at almost t. Our lunar companion rotates while it orbits earth. This results is your observation only one side can ever be seen from a specific point on earth.
RELATED ARTICLE :
- why do they call nyc the big apple
- why do some people see white and gold
- why do the soles of my feet itch
However its rotational speed is always the same. The earth rotates around its own axis once every twenty four hours. The moon on the other hand rotates once around its own axis every 28 days and once around the earth in that same 28 days. We only ever see one side of the moon because as it orbits around earth it also rotates on its own axis at the same speed.
For starters the moon is not stuck in place with one side facing us. It s just that the amount of time it takes the moon to complete a revolution on its axis is the same it takes to circle our planet about 27 days.
Source : pinterest.com