What is tidal locking?
Q: What is tidal locking?
A: Tidal locking is when one side of an astronomical body always faces another, also known as synchronous rotation.
Q: What is the classic example of tidal locking?
A: The classic example of tidal locking is the Moon, where the same side faces the Earth constantly.
Q: Does a tidally locked body take the same time to rotate as revolve around its partner?
A: Yes, a tidally locked body takes the same amount of time to rotate around its own axis as it does to revolve around its partner.
Q: Does tidal locking occur between bodies of similar mass and small distances apart?
A: Yes, if the two bodies are similar in mass and their distance apart is small, the tidal force will lock each to the other. This is the case between Pluto and Charon.
Q: What would happen to the Moon if it stopped spinning?
A: If the Moon stopped spinning, it would alternately show its near and far sides to Earth while moving around Earth in orbit.
Q: Is it possible to work out how long it takes for a particular case of tidal locking to occur?
A: Yes, it is possible to work out an estimate of how long it takes for a particular case of tidal locking to occur, but some factors may not be known or may be poorly understood, such as the rigidity of a planetary body and its change in shape under tidal force.
Q: Is tidal locking connected to orbital resonance?
A: Yes, tidal locking is an aspect of orbital resonance.
