could someone pleassssse help me answer these questions?
do we always see the same side of the moon and how do you know for sure?
if the moon rotated just asa quickly as earth , would we see the same sides of the moon from earth?explian.
the moon rotates around the earth and not around itself, we always see the same side of the moon and can tell by the pattern of crater
The moon revolves around the earth on an elliptical path with the earth at one of the foci of the ellipse. At the point on the elliptical path closest to the earth, the perigee, the moon is about 221,463 miles from the earth. At the point on the elliptical path farthest from the earth, the apogee, the moon is about 252,710 miles from earth. The moon travels this path in a counterclockwise direction, looking down on the ecliptic plane (the plane of the earth's orbit). The moon's orbit is inclined about 5 degrees to the ecliptic plain. The two points at which the moon's path crosses the ecliptic plane are called nodes. These nodes move clockwise along the ecliptic, taking about 19 years to complete one revolution.
The moon, while revolving around the earth, is also rotating counterclockwise about its own axis. Surprisingly, this period of rotation is exactly equal to the period of revolution about the earth. With respect to the fixed stars, the moon completes one rotation in 27.32 days. The consequence of this fact is that the same side of the moon always faces the earth while the other side remains unseen.
In reality, due to the slight noddings (librations) of the moon, only 41% of the moon always faces the earth, another 41% is never visible, and 18% is sometimes visible and sometimes invisible. Longitudinal librations of the moon are caused by the fact that the spinning of the moon on its axis is constant while its motion around the earth is at a variable speed. The spinning is sometimes ahead of and sometimes behind the revolving, thereby alternatively exposing the left edge and the right edge. Librations in latitude are caused by the 6 1/2 degree inclination of the moon's rotational axis to a line perpendicular to its orbital plane. Thus, we can see 6 1/2 degrees over the northern pole of the moon when it is tilted toward the earth and, two weeks later, we can see 6 1/2 degrees beyond the southern pole.
Of course, I'd be happy to help you answer these questions!
To find out if we always see the same side of the moon, we can explore a few different methods:
1. Observation: By observing the moon on different nights or at different times throughout the month, we can look for any changes in its appearance. If we consistently see the same features or patterns on the moon's surface, it suggests that we are seeing the same side.
2. Photographic evidence: Another way to confirm this is through photographs taken of the moon over a long period. If the images consistently show the same features facing us, it supports the idea that we see the same side.
3. Lunar missions: Human and robotic missions to the moon, such as the Apollo missions, have provided visual confirmation that the far side of the moon looks significantly different from the near side. These missions also collected data and images that contribute to our understanding of the moon's rotation.
Now, if the moon rotated at the same rate as the Earth, we would not see the same side of the moon from Earth. Currently, the moon's rotation is synchronized with its orbit around the Earth, which means it takes the same amount of time for the moon to complete one rotation on its axis as it does to complete one orbit around the Earth. This phenomenon is called tidal locking.
If the moon no longer followed this synchronous rotation and instead rotated at the same rate as the Earth, we would eventually see different sides of the moon. The rotation would cause different features to come into view over time, altering our perspective of the moon.
I hope this helps clarify your questions! If you have any further inquiries, feel free to ask.