Edit to clarify: I understand the moons gravity pulls on the water on the side of the earth that’s closest to it. But there’s also a bulge on the opposite side of the earth and I don’t understand how that second bulge happens.
In: Planetary Science
Best description I heard. Let’s say you are spinning your 5 year old in circles by their arms. We have all done this. Kids love it. You are pulling on your child’s arms. That’s the front side of earth and your the moon. You are pulling that water towards you.
Now on the back side of earth, your child’s feet, you’re slinging them around. If your child’s shoes come off, which way to they go? They don’t fly at you. They fly away from you.
So the moon is pulling the water closest to the moon and slinging the water away from the moon on the backside.
What will really blow your mind is that the water is only moving at the speed of the moon. Earth is turning into those bulges of water.
Latest Answers