How does the Moon control Earth's tides? | Stargazing | ABC Science?

The Moon pulls on Earth’s oceans like a giant invisible friend tugging on a rope.

Imagine you're holding a bucket full of water. If your friend gently pulls the bucket from the side, the water sloshes toward them, that's tides! The Moon does something similar but much bigger. It pulls Earth’s oceans, and because Earth is mostly covered in water, the ocean moves, rising up like it's being hugged by the Moon, then falling back when the pull lessens.

Think of Earth as a spinning top with water around it. As Earth turns, one side faces the Moon, getting pulled and creating a high tide. On the opposite side, Earth’s spin makes another high tide, like when you're on a swing and feel both the pull forward and the push backward.

The Sun also helps with tides, but the Moon is the main reason we have those big ocean waves going back and forth every day!