Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 1/31/2006

Question
Hello, I am just resubmitting the followup to my original question, because the URL is persisting in being...dead.
" Hmm, now I read somewhere that the Moon does rotate, but you said that it does not rotate with respect to the Earth. What is the difference? Also, back to the stationary planet idea: So, if the planet does not rotate, that would mean that in one hemisphere it is always daytime, and in another hemisphere it is always nighttime, right? This is assuming I include a sun. If there were six moons for each hemisphere then, I suppose the six on the daylight side would be faintly visible (the way we see the moon at sunset) and the six on the night side would never be visible, because the moon can only reflect the light of the sun?  

Answer
Hi,
Something has gone drastically wrong with this site!
You are posting same question 6 times!
Anyway..
you can read the posted answer to the second phase question at
http://www.allexperts.com/answerq.asp?QuestionID=4243038&ExpertID=59777

alternatively i am cut pasting it for you.

******* start
Heather ..heather !
How old are you?
'Cause your questions are reflecting a "likeable" innocence of all things scientefic! :)

And yet you are writing a book on science-fiction..am i correct?

The plus point is the "correct aspiration" is there! As long as one "does not hide" one's "lacks" in any field and opens out all the cards well, one always succeeds in doing what he does, despite the initial shortcomings.

Bravo! you have courage, and will succeed in that book.

Now your question!
Heather, remember i said "sheltered" and "preferred" two words indication that "stationary" was only an exclusive view point.
The moon HAS to rotate about itself as it goes round the earth! Only it does so in synch with its orbital period. Meaning it turns around itself once as it completes its orbit around the earth.
That way, to observers on the moon and earth, in their "exclusive" frame of reference, the moon keeps one face always to the earth. it means for any point of the moon, if the earth is "just rising", it will remain so for ages! At other points on the moon if the earth is directly overhead, it will remain that way for ever!
To us on earth, we will in return see "only one face" of the moon. For ever. (the one with the bunny like dark pattern on it).
To the external observer however, both the earth and the moon DO TURN! Non rotation occurs only when we have "wilful blinkered vision"! (sheltered heaven..ignorance is bliss ..and so on).
Now was that much clearer?
You made a "slight mistake" on the 6 moon stuff too.

Imagine 12 moons totally (6 per hemisphere).
those in direct line with the sun would actually eclipse the sun and present their "dark" night side to the viewer.
Others placed at different angles in the sky would present phases like our moon depending on their phases.

The one that was directly in "opposition" to the sun, on the planet's night side, would briefly have a lunar eclipse seen on the moon rise side as well as the moon setting side.

HAVE you given a thought to how the planet's evolution (life) would be profoundly affected, as "true" night would never come? the eyes would be different as the range of darkness and light would be narrowed?

The religions would have a dozen goddesses (and one sun god)!

The possibilities are endless!
Jayen
******* end

jayen