ntt@dciem.UUCP (Mark Brader) (06/12/84)
You're both right. It's a matter of definition -- the question was incompletely posed. Of course the moon DOES rotate around its own axis, if you're considering the frame of reference of the universe at large, as astronomy/physics types generally do, with good reason. And of course it DOESN'T rotate about its own axis (neglecting libration (so look it up)), if you consider a frame of reference attached to the path joining earth and moon, which is also natural because we look at it along that path. This question was raised and thrashed out long before Usenet existed. The conclusion has always been that some people find one reference frame to be obviously appropriate, some prefer the other, and some don't care. And I suppose some don't understand. That's all there is. Can we stop talking about it now? Please? Mark Brader