The gravitational pull of the Moon affects tides on the Earth. As the Moon’s gravity pulls on the water of the Earth, the ocean bulges on both sides of the planet. The Earth’s water bulges on its Moon-facing side because it’s being pulled by the Moon’s gravity, leading to a rise in the tide. But the Moon’s gravity also creates a high tide on the opposite side of Earth, because the Moon is pulling on the Earth, too. The inertia of the ocean water causes it to remain at rest, creating this second bulge as the Earth moves away from its water. The solid Earth is being pulled toward the Moon, but liquid water on the far side does not have as much pull or tug. Points on the sides of the Earth between the two tide bulges have a low tide. Because the Earth takes twenty-four hours to rotate once, any point on Earth will have a high tide followed by a low tide in roughly six-hour intervals. During one twenty-four-hour period, each position on Earth will have about two high tides and two low tides. Because the Moon is moving around the Earth, the actual time between tides is about six hours and thirteen minutes. If the Moon were somehow stopped in its orbit, the time between tides would be about six hours. But during one rotation of the Earth, the Moon has moved ahead into its orbit about one-thirtieth of the distance of one orbit, or about twelve degrees. So the Moon is not in the same position in its orbit as it was twenty-four hours ago.
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The gravitational pull of the Moon affects tides on the Earth. As the Moon’s gravity pulls on the water of the Earth, the ocean bulges on both sides of the planet. The Earth’s water bulges on its Moon-facing side because it’s being pulled by the Moon’s gravity, leading to a rise in the tide. But the Moon’s gravity also creates a high tide on the opposite side of Earth, because the Moon is pulling on the Earth, too. The inertia of the ocean water causes it to remain at rest, creating this second bulge as the Earth moves away from its water. The solid Earth is being pulled toward the Moon, but liquid water on the far side does not have as much pull or tug. Points on the sides of the Earth between the two tide bulges have a low tide. Because the Earth takes twenty-four hours to rotate once, any point on Earth will have a high tide followed by a low tide in roughly six-hour intervals. During one twenty-four-hour period, each position on Earth will have about two high tides and two low tides. Because the Moon is moving around the Earth, the actual time between tides is about six hours and thirteen minutes. If the Moon were somehow stopped in its orbit, the time between tides would be about six hours. But during one rotation of the Earth, the Moon has moved ahead into its orbit about one-thirtieth of the distance of one orbit, or about twelve degrees. So the Moon is not in the same position in its orbit as it was twenty-four hours ago.