How Does the Lunar Cycle Affect Tides?

The Moon’s dance with Earth causes the ocean to stretch and shrink, that’s how tides happen.

Imagine you're playing with a bucket of water on a swing. When you go up high, the water sloshes forward; when you come down, it pulls back. The Moon is like your friend on the swing, pulling the ocean as it goes around Earth.

The Moon has a strong pull, just like when you hold onto a toy and it tugs at you. This pull makes the ocean bulge out, that's a high tide. On the side of Earth facing away from the Moon, the water also gets pulled slightly, another high tide happens there too!

Sometimes the Moon is closer to Earth, like when your friend jumps right next to you on the swing. That makes bigger tides, called spring tides. Other times, the Moon is farther away, it's like your friend is across the room, and the tides are smaller, called neap tides.

So every day, as the Moon moves around Earth, it gives the ocean a little nudge, that’s how we get our tides! The Moon’s dance with Earth causes the ocean to stretch and shrink, that’s how tides happen.

Imagine you're playing with a bucket of water on a swing. When you go up high, the water sloshes forward; when you come down, it pulls back. The Moon is like your friend on the swing, pulling the ocean as it goes around Earth.

The Moon has a strong pull, just like when you hold onto a toy and it tugs at you. This pull makes the ocean bulge out, that's a high tide. On the side of Earth facing away from the Moon, the water also gets pulled slightly, another high tide happens there too!

Sometimes the Moon is closer to Earth, like when your friend jumps right next to you on the swing. That makes bigger tides, called spring tides. Other times, the Moon is farther away, it's like your friend is across the room, and the tides are smaller, called neap tides.

So every day, as the Moon moves around Earth, it gives the ocean a little nudge, that’s how we get our tides!