Book 1, Question 96 · Video
Why Do We Only See One Face of the Moon?
No matter when you look, you see the same face of the Moon. The Moon does spin, but it spins once for every trip around Earth, so the same side always faces us. The page says the f
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do we only see one face of the Moon?
The Big Idea
Every night you see the Moon, it shows us the very same face! That's because the Moon spins exactly once for every trip it makes around Earth. Let's see how that works!
The Moon Spins
Number one: the Moon spins. Just like Earth, the Moon turns around and around. But it spins much more slowly. One Moon day lasts about a month!
It Spins Once Per Orbit
Number two: it spins once per orbit. The Moon takes about twenty-seven days to spin once, and about twenty-seven days to go around Earth once. The spin and the trip match perfectly!
The Same Side Always Faces Earth
Number three: the same side always faces Earth. Because the spin and the orbit match, the same side of the Moon always points toward us. Long ago, Earth's gravity tugged on the Moon, and slowed its spin until it matched. Scientists call this tidal locking.
Moon Orbit Lock
Let's watch the Moon go around Earth. See the Moon's smiley face? That's the side we see. As the Moon travels around, it slowly turns too. So the smiley face always points at Earth!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! The far side of the Moon is not always dark! It gets sunlight too, just like the near side. We just can't see it from Earth. People first saw the far side in nineteen fifty-nine, from photos taken by a spacecraft. And we actually see a little more than half the Moon, because it wobbles a tiny bit!
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Put a chair in the middle of a room. Walk all the way around it, keeping your face pointed at the chair the whole time. Notice something? You turned around once, too! Now you're the Moon, and the chair is Earth. Your face stays pointed toward the chair, just like the Moon's face stays pointed toward Earth! Now try walking around facing the wall instead. What changes?
Outro
The Moon spins once for every trip around Earth, so it always shows us its friendly face! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!