The Moon’s gravity pulls on Earth’s oceans, creating bulges. This causes high and low tides twice daily. Tidal friction gradually transfers angular momentum, slowing Earth’s rotation. Tides influence coastal ecosystems and sediment movement. Lunar perigee and apogee variations create spring and neap tides. Ocean currents and wave patterns are also shaped. It’s a continuous gravitational dance.
It matters for marine life, human activity, and climate modeling. Tides regulate ecosystems and coastal erosion.
It also illustrates how celestial bodies interact, with predictable, calculable effects. Without the Moon, tides would be much weaker.
Spring tides can be up to twice the height of normal tides.
NASA [nasa.gov]