- #1
vladpaln
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Can a parent body be tidally locked with a moon, so if one was standing on the planet the moon would appear in the same location in the sky day and night?
Two Way Tidal Lock: Can Planets and Moons Sync?
In summary, it is possible for a parent body to be tidally locked with a moon, so if one was standing on the planet the moon would appear in the same location in the sky day and night.
- #2
DrStupid
- 2,167
- 502
vladpaln said:
Yes, Pluto and Charon are tidally locked this way.
- #3
vladpaln
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Does that mean that somewhere on the planet there is a daily eclipse??
- #4
newjerseyrunner
- 1,533
- 637
If the plane of the orbit is exactly the same as the plane of the sun? Yes. The moon orbits the Earth every 30 days, but we certainly don't get a solar eclipse every month.vladpaln said:
- #5
vladpaln
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Are there any known examples where the moon orbit is locked but continues to rotate?? so instead of the moon tidaly locking the orbit it's the parent that is responsible for the tidal lock?
- #6
rootone
- 3,395
- 946
From an external point of view, a tidally locked moon still is rotating.
It just happens to be rotating such that it's rotation period is exactly the same as it's orbital period.
It just happens to be rotating such that it's rotation period is exactly the same as it's orbital period.
- #7
vladpaln
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I don't think my question was very clear, I'm aware of two different kinds of tidal locks and I'm wondering if there is a third,
- The first is where the satellite is tidally locked to its parent (the moon), where the satellite always presents the same face to its parent as it orbits its parent
- The second is a two way tidal lock (Pluto-Charon), Charon presents the same face to Pluto but from what I understand if you are standing on Pluto Charon will always appear in the same location in the sky.
- I would like to know if there is a third kind, where the parent is tidally locked to its moon but the moon is not tidally locked to its parent, so the moon will rotate at its own rate (so over time you can see every side of the moon), but if you are standing on the parent the moon will stay in the same location in the night sky??
Is this physically possible?
If anyone is aware of an example please let me know?
- The first is where the satellite is tidally locked to its parent (the moon), where the satellite always presents the same face to its parent as it orbits its parent
- The second is a two way tidal lock (Pluto-Charon), Charon presents the same face to Pluto but from what I understand if you are standing on Pluto Charon will always appear in the same location in the sky.
- I would like to know if there is a third kind, where the parent is tidally locked to its moon but the moon is not tidally locked to its parent, so the moon will rotate at its own rate (so over time you can see every side of the moon), but if you are standing on the parent the moon will stay in the same location in the night sky??
Is this physically possible?
If anyone is aware of an example please let me know?
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- #8
rootone
- 3,395
- 946
That is quite unlikely unless the 'Moon' is extremely massive but tiny.
A minimal neutron star or white dwarf star orbiting a very big brown dwarf object or something.
Intuition tells me something could go badly wrong there.
A minimal neutron star or white dwarf star orbiting a very big brown dwarf object or something.Intuition tells me something could go badly wrong there.
- #9
vladpaln
- 12
- 0
why, from what I understand all it would take is a large moon relative to its parent (like Charon 12% of Pluto), placing the barycenter outside of the diameter of its parent, a symmetrical moon in all 3-axis (talking mass here), an asymmetrical parent creating the tidal lock, and a relativity close orbital distance (I'm sure there is a range),
someone please poke some holes in this little theory, what did I miss??
someone please poke some holes in this little theory, what did I miss??
1. What is two way tidal lock?
Two way tidal lock is a phenomenon in which a planet and its moon are gravitationally locked to each other, causing them to always show the same side to each other as they orbit. This means that one side of the planet or moon is constantly facing the other, similar to how the moon always shows the same face to Earth.
2. How does two way tidal lock occur?
Two way tidal lock occurs because of the gravitational forces between the planet and its moon. The stronger gravitational pull from the larger object (usually the planet) causes the smaller object (usually the moon) to become tidally locked, meaning that its rotation and orbit are synchronized.
3. Can any planet and moon combination be tidally locked?
Not all planet and moon combinations are capable of becoming tidally locked. Certain conditions must be met, such as the mass and distance between the two objects. For example, the moon is tidally locked to Earth, but Earth is not tidally locked to the moon.
4. What effects does two way tidal lock have on the planet and moon?
Two way tidal lock can have various effects on the planet and moon, such as causing the moon's orbit to become more circular, slowing down the planet's rotation, and possibly causing tidal heating (a phenomenon in which the gravitational forces create heat within the objects).
5. Is Earth ever at risk of becoming tidally locked with the moon?
No, Earth and the moon are not at risk of becoming tidally locked. The moon's orbit is gradually increasing, meaning that it is moving further away from Earth, making it impossible for them to become tidally locked. However, this process is very slow and will not occur within the lifespan of humans.
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