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To: NicknamedBob
Everyone knows that Luna keeps one side facing Earth.

Now I do *snicker*.

241 posted on 02/05/2012 7:24:03 AM PST by Tax-chick (View new baby pictures on the Tax-chick page!)
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To: Tax-chick; Silentgypsy; Monkey Face
"Everyone knows that Luna keeps one side facing Earth."

"Now I do."

Most of the moons in the Solar System are tidally locked to their primaries. Tidal friction is unremitting, and has no corresponding impetus to balance it. Inevitably, the rotation comes to a stop.

But the moons go around their primaries at different distances, so even though they keep one face toward the main planet, they still have different lengths of "day".

The revolution, of course, has nothing but vacuum to slow it down, so the moons and planets continue going around pretty much endlessly. Vive la revolución!

248 posted on 02/05/2012 8:21:29 AM PST by NicknamedBob (If "everybody's different" then two of them have to be the same. It's the only way to be different.)
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