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NASA's new satellite 930,000 miles from Earth
- Thread starter easynow
- Start date
TomandJerry
Well-known member
- Oct 1, 2013
- 11,444
Is the moon made of cheese?
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 70,139
Is that the Ulloa penalty in the foreground?
The Andy Naylor Fan Club
Well-known member
Looks like The Death Star...
OzMike
Well-known member
It looks pretty big even from that distance away.
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
Moon doesn't rotate? Must be why they talk of the dark side of the moon
It does rotate - just at precisely the same rate as it orbits the Earth, thus presenting the same face to the Earth (and hence to outer space) at all times. Another astronomical coincidence, of which there are many.
jgmcdee
New member
- Mar 25, 2012
- 931
It's not a coincidence, it's the result of the Moon being tidally locked to the Earth.
Yes, I realised that on my way into work!
What is a co-incidence though is that the moon is precisely the right size and distance away from the Earth for there to (currently) be a precise total eclipse...
Shropshire Seagull
Well-known member
If there is always a dark side of the moon surely any rotation of the moon must be linked to how it faces the sun, not he earth?
If it's rotation is aligned to the Earth, it would be a blind side which would sometimes have sunlight - shirley?
And when there is a lunar eclipse, the sun is shining on the side we cannot see?
Confused ....
Diego Napier
Well-known member
- Mar 27, 2010
- 4,416
Although it is a coincidence that it's at the current distance from the earth and it has it's current rotation, it used to be closer and rotate more quickly.
It's a common misunderstanding - there is no "dark" side of the moon; only a "far" or, as you say, "blind" side and a "near" side. Pink Floyd have a lot to answer for...
symyjym
Banned
Yes, I realised that on my way into work!
What is a co-incidence though is that the moon is precisely the right size and distance away from the Earth for there to (currently) be a precise total eclipse...
More a coincidence that we are alive at the right time to see it this way. The moon was once a lot closer and it is moving further away by about 4cm each year.
Yes, that's probably fair comment.