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SYNCHRONOUS ROTATION

Specialty Definition: Synchronous rotation

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Synchronous rotation is a planetological term describing a body orbiting another, where the orbiting body takes as long to rotate on its axis as it does to make one orbit; and as such, always keeps the same hemisphere pointed at the body it is orbiting.

The Moon and the Earth have a synchronic relationship. In fact, most moons in the solar system have synchronous rotation due to tidal locking.

Source: the above text is adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Synchronous rotation."

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Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.