Astronomical Theory Section - Planetary Phenomena


The Orbit of the Moon   (2)

  • Introduction
  • The Creation of the Moon
  • Evolution of the Orbit
  • Is the Moon actually a satellite body?
  • Summary
When compared to the satellites of the other planets in the Solar System, the Moon is a very strange body. It is large, both in absolute terms and (particularly) as compared to its parent; it orbits the Earth very slowly, and its orbit lies close to the plane of the Ecliptic, rather than to that of the Earth's equator, and has an appreciable eccentricity. In this article I examine how this situation has arisen.

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