Why doesn't the moon orbit the sun rather than the earth? | planetary system | theia | Gravity Wells

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The moon does, in fact, orbit the sun, just like the Earth does. Both the Earth and the moon are in motion around the sun due to the force of gravity. This is a fundamental principle of our solar system and is described by Kepler's laws of planetary motion.

However, when we talk about the moon orbiting the Earth, we are usually referring to the moon's motion relative to the Earth. The moon is much closer to the Earth than the sun, and the gravitational force between the Earth and the moon is significantly stronger than the force between the moon and the sun. As a result, the moon primarily follows an orbit around the Earth while the Earth and the moon together orbit the sun. The moon's orbit around the Earth is a consequence of the moon being gravitationally bound to the Earth.

In simple terms, the moon orbits the sun, but it is also influenced by the gravitational pull of the Earth, which keeps it in a relatively stable orbit around our planet. This complex interplay of gravitational forces creates the moon's familiar orbit around the Earth as it journeys through space together with Earth around the sun.

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