What direction is the moon facing?

Answer 1

The Earth's Moon is "tidally locked" to Earth, meaning that it rotates (spins) exactly once each time it orbits the Earth. This means that we always see the same face of the Moon.

The length of the Moon's rotation (and orbit) is 27.3 days but because the Earth-Moon system orbits the Sun, it is about 29.5 days between full moons, and this period (29 or 30 days) is referred to as the "lunar month."

Answer 2

EAST-WEST LIBRATION The moon's libration is an apparent motion of the moon, and not a true motion. It is the apparent slight swinging back and forth of the moon once during each lunar cycle (a complete series of moon phases). It is not observable directly with the naked eye because the cycle is so long and the movement is not extreme. If you use good astronomy software, you can easily observe this libration. You might have success observing it by taking excellent photographs of the moon each night for a month. Here is what is happening. The moon rotates on its axis once during each lunar cycle, and this is because the moon is tidally locked with the earth. This is an entirely separate topic for those who want to know more. The moon also orbits the earth once during each lunar cycle (the synodic period). The moon's orbit around the earth is not perfectly circular; it is elliptical as are almost all orbits in the solar system. This means that the moon is closest to the earth (perigee) at one point during the lunar cycle, and farthest away roughly 2 weeks later. When the moon is approaching perigee, it speeds up a little in its orbit, reaching a maximum velocity right at perigee. It then begins to slow down reaching its slowest orbital velocity at apogee, about 2 weeks later. But the rotational velocity of the moon is virtually constant throughout the month. If you think about this, the moon will be moving around the earth faster at the time of perigee, but because the rotational velocity of the moon isn't changing, the moon will appear to be swinging its face a little toward the east (a little more of the moon's west surface will show). The rotation will appear to us to be out of synch with the orbit. This appears to be true not because the moon is really swinging, but because of the difference between orbital and rotational velocities. At the other side, the moon's orbit is slowing slightly while the rotational velocity remains the same. So the rotation again appears to be out of synch with the orbit. The result of all this is the apparent swinging of the moon. NORTH-SOUTH LIBRATION There is also a north-south libration that comes about because the moon does not orbit the earth in the earth's or the moon's equatorial plane. As a result of this, we can 'peak' over the top of the moon at times during its orbit, and at other times we can 'peak' underneath. This too is an apparent and not a true motion of the moon.

Answer 3

When the moon appears at its highest altitude in your sky, it's due south of you

if you're located in the northern hemisphere, and due north of you if you're located

in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer 4

The Moon orbits the Earth in a counter-clockwise direction if looking down on the Earth. The Moon itself is tidally locked with the Earth, which means that the Moon rotates on its own axis at the same rate as it rotates around the Earth thus showing only one face towards us at all times. This direction is also counter-clockwise.

Answer 5

The rotation of the moon is the moon spinning in one place.

Answer 6

The moon rotates and revolves, just like the Earth, and thus does not really face any one thing. It is constantly turning.

Answer 7

Roughly 6-1/2 hours after it rises in the east.

Answer 8

The orbit of the moon. It takes about 27 daysa nd 7 hrs to go round us once.

Answer 9

It rotates in such a way that it basically always shows Earth the same side. That means that in one of its revolutions around the Earth (about 27 1/3 days), it rotates once.

Answer 10

It revolves around the Earth.