Quote:
Originally Posted by NEOWatcher
One side is heavier than the other. The heavier side will tend to point toward the most gravity which would be the earth.
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In the case of the
moon, the "heavy side" of the moon is not pointed directly towards the Earth. It's a few tens of degrees off, if I recall correctly
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiery Phoenix
the Moon's rotation period just happens to be equal to its orbital period around the Earth.
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It's not just a coincidence though, a lot of moons are locked to their larger planets. The induced tides can slow down a satellite.