The moon always shows the same face because it spins as it goes around Earth. Imagine you're holding a ball on a string and swinging it in a circle, if you spin fast enough, the ball will always show you the same side. The moon is like that ball: it rotates at just the right speed so we only see one side every time it circles us.
Examples
- Imagine spinning a ball on a string, if you turn it at just the right speed, you’ll always see one side.
- It's as if the moon spins exactly as fast as it goes around our planet.
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See also
- What If Earth Stopped Spinning?
- How Does the Moon Affect Tides Exactly?
- How Does the Moon Affect the Oceans?
- How Does the Moon Affect Earth’s Tides?
- How Does Tides: Crash Course Astronomy #8 Work?