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In astronomy, 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 therefore always keeps the same hemisphere pointed at the body it is orbiting.

The Moon is in synchronous rotation about the Earth. In fact, most major moons in the solar system have synchronous rotation due to tidal locking.

[edit] See also

• Tidal locking
• Tidal acceleration
• Rotation
• Synchronous orbit

[edit] External links

• Diagram illustrating the Moon's synchronous rotation

bg:Синхронно въртене

ca:Rotació síncrona cs:Vázaná rotace da:Bunden rotation de:Gebundene Rotation fr:Rotation synchrone hr:Sinkrona rotacija it:Rotazione sincrona nl:Synchronisatiehoogte nn:Bunden rotasjon pl:Obrót synchroniczny sv:Bunden rotation