The Moon Slowly Drifts Away

Earth’s gravity tugs at the Moon, and vice versa.

The Moon moves about 3.8 cm away from Earth each year due to tidal interactions. This slows Earth’s rotation over millions of years.

Why This Matters

Future days on Earth will be longer as the Moon drifts.

Moon’s recession provides data for calibrating ancient eclipse records.

Did You Know?

Tidal friction is literally slowing Earth’s spin.

Source

[Smithsonian, smithsonianmag.com]

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