Why Do We Only See One Side Of The Moon At All Times
Olivia Luz
![This Animation Visually Explains Why Only One Side Of The Moon Is Visible As It Circles The Earth Space Facts Chemistry For Kids Astronomy](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2b/56/0b/2b560b619b82c9711625010514739952.png)
Our lunar companion rotates while it orbits earth.
For starters the moon is not stuck in place with one side facing us. During this time it travels a distance of 1 423 000 miles 2 290 000 kilometers. On earth we only see one side of the moon because the duration of its rotation is equal to the time it takes to orbit our planet the moon orbits earth at a speed of 2 288 miles per hour 3 683 kilometers per hour. Nasa jpl caltech the far side of the moon looks very different than the near side see the first photo in this article.
This is because the moon turns once on its axis in the same time that it circles the earth. The moon is directly illuminated by the sun and the cyclically. Unlike the earth which rotates 365 times during each rotation around the sun the moon only rotates once. 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.
Go build a website. For example the same side of the earth s moon always faces the earth. This results is your observation only one side can ever be seen from a specific point on earth. When we look at the moon we always see the same side.
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Tidal locking or captured rotation occurs when the gravitational gradient makes one side of an astronomical body always face another an effect known as synchronous rotation. The reason for this is what we call tidal locking. This means the moon rotates around its axis at almost t. 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