[fr_freak]

“I don’t think that is correct. The moon does not rotate.”

Yes it does, as any basic astronomy text would tell you.

“If it did, we would see the other side of the moon regularly.”

No, if it DID NOT rotate we’d see the other side as it orbited the Earth. The Moon is tidally locked and rotates once per orbit, always keeping the same side facing the Earth.

I stand corrected. From what I gather on the wikipedia page (good write-up, by the way), they are defining rotation as movement about the moon's axis, which, I'm sure is the correct astronomical definition. However, relative to the Earth, the moon does not rotate, which is what I was trying to say.

[GourmetDan]

"However, relative to the Earth, the moon does not rotate, which is what I was trying to say."

Well, that's the whole of the argument. What standard of fixity will be used, the earth or the universe? That the universe does not rotate is an assumption that the astronomers make, not an observation.

The result of this assumption is the conclusion that the moon rotates once per orbit. If the universe is rotating, then the moon does not, as you note.