Talk:Tidal locking
|
|
- It results in the orbiting bodies synchronizing their rotation so that one side always faces its partner
The above sentence implies that both bodies face their partner. But when one body is tremndously more massive than the other, isn't it only the tiny one whose rotation gets synchronized:
- moon and earth - moon faces earth, but earth rotates 28 extra times per lunar rotation/revolution
- mercury and sun - mercury's rotation synchronized in a 2:3 harmonic to its orbit period, while suns rotates considerably faster (?)
--Ed Poor
I think the fact that it says, "one side", implies that only one of the pair will show the same face at all times. Maybe this could be changed so it's more explicit?
--Don
Earth/Sun
Am I correct in assuming that at some point (however far off) the Earth will become tidally locked with the Sun and we'll have a cold and likely uninhabitable side of the planet?