Why do we always see the same side of the moon from earth?

Question

Why do we always see the same side of the moon from earth?

Answer 1

The earth exerts a powerful gravitational attraction for the moon (the moon also exerts a similar but lesser attraction for the earth that raises tides both in the ocean and to a lesser extent in the earth's crust that move about the earth as it spins). The earth's attraction has raised a bulge in the moon facing earth that is therefore slightly closer to the earth and more strongly attracted. If a huge meteor struck the moon (as in the past) trying to rotate it, it would have to overcome the earth's attraction for the bulge; thus the moon always faces its bulge toward the earth. If the moon did spin at one time, the bulge would have helped arrest the motion relative to earth as it deleloped and froze solid.

Answer 2

The because its rotaional period is the same as its orbital time, Hence a lunar "day" is 28 days and The time it takes to revolve around the earth is 28 Days. Edit- I thought about this and I think it may actually be one day not a lunar month, but the reason is still the same.



THE REASON they are the same is much more interesting.



The moon of course causes tides on earth, which expends a great deal of energy, what used to happen sometime in the past is the Earth exerted a tidal force on the moon, Which caused its rotation to slowly slow down, until it reached its lowest energy point, the point where the rotations exactly matched and no energy is being expended.

Answer 3

The force of gravity on earth is what keeps the moon revolving around the earth. It does not rotate on its own axis. The earth pulls on that side of the moon much like a hand grabbing onto the handle of a mug.

Answer 4

The Moon is in Tidal lock with the Earth, so that one revolution of the moon in its axis is the same as one turn of the earth on its axis.

Answer 5

The moon's period of rotation around it's axis is the same as it's period of orbit.

Answer 6

Because the moon doesn't rotate on its axis.