Why Does the Moon Always Show the Same Face?

The moon always shows the same face because it rotates as it orbits Earth. It's like when you spin around while holding a ball, if you move at just the right speed, the ball will always face you. The moon moves around Earth in about 28 days, and it also spins on its axis once every 28 days. That means the same side of the moon always faces us as it travels around Earth.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A spinning top that moves around a chair, always showing the same face to it.
  2. A clock hand orbiting a central point, rotating once per orbit.
  3. A child on a swing who turns in sync with their motion.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Math · moon· astronomy· gravity