alleryStart learning →The Moon keeps the same face turned toward Earth at all times. Why does it do that?
AIt does not rotate at all
BIt rotates once per orbit
CIt orbits Earth twice a year
DIt is locked by Earth's shadow
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. It rotates once per orbit
1. Turning once on its axis while going once around Earth keeps one side pointed inward.
2. The Moon does exactly that, spinning once in the time it takes to circle us.
3. Scientists call this matched pair of periods synchronous rotation.
_Source: OpenStax Astronomy (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Earth, Moon, and Sky" and Ch 5 "Radiation and Spectra", section 4.5 Phases and Motions of the Moon_
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