How Does the Moon Affect Tides?

The Moon pulls on the water, making it bulge out twice a day. When Earth turns, we feel this pull as high tides and low tides.

Imagine you're holding a bucket of water. If someone gently pulls the bucket from one side, the water moves toward that side, creating a bulge. That's what the Moon does to the oceans, it pulls them slightly, making the water rise in some places and fall in others.

As Earth rotates once every day, we pass through two of these bulges, one on the side facing the Moon, and another on the opposite side. This is why we get two high tides and two low tides each day.