How many times does the moon spin a day?

Answer 1

A lunar month (a full period of lunar phases) is close to 29.53 days. 360/29.53 = 12.19° per day. This is the synodic period of revolution of the moon; the revolution as observed from earth, and has to do with the moon's position relative to the sun. So this revolution is what most people will observe most readily, and will intuitively understand to be the moon's revolution. The 360° referred to here are related to the moon's synodic journey across the sky and the degrees are a little larger than the absolute degrees of motion relative to the fixed stars. (The moon in fact revolves MORE than an absolute 360° for each lunar cycle of phases.)

A sidereal revolution (absolute revolution of 360° relative to the fixed stars) is close to 27.32 days. 360/27.32 = 13.18° per day.

A closed fist held at arm's length subtends roughly 10° of sky.

Answer 2

The moon circles the Earth once every 27 days 7 hours 43.1 minutes, so in 24 hours it will have only progressed about 1/27th of its orbit. Given an average distance from Earth of 384,400 kilometers, this translates to about 88,470 kilometers per 24 hours.

We'll see it move around the sky in that time due to the earth rotating on its axis. To eliminate this effect, look at where the moon is at the same time each day.

Answer 3

The moon rotates on its axis once every 27.3 days and revolves around the Earth once every 29.5 days. This means that the same side of the moon faces the Earth most of the time, so it technically does not "spin" a full rotation in a day as we are used to with Earth's rotation.

Answer 4

It takes 29 days for the moon to orbit Earth once. (29 days is considered a lunar month--now you know why!)

Answer 5

Once every 27.32 days.

0.0366 time per day (rounded)

Answer 6

The moon takes 27.32 days to rotate once.

It rotates 0.0366 of a time each day.

Answer 7

About 1/27th/. It takes the Moon 27 days to rotate once. Which, quite coincidentally, is also how long the Moon takes to complete one orbit.

Answer 8

29 days