So when the moon interacts with both the Earth and the sun, the solar interaction is stronger. Of course, the motion of the moon depends on the sum of these forces. Look at this diagram of the ...

What about the Sun? In this diagram, the Earth and moon are ... Well, this says that no matter where the moon is in relationship to the Earth it has a radial acceleration in the direction of ...

Ever since the 16th century when Nicolaus Copernicus demonstrated that the Earth revolved around in the Sun, scientists have worked tirelessly to understand the relationship in mathematical terms.

There are two points — called nodes — where the moon's orbit crosses the Earth's plane. On the diagram above, the moon is lined up on a node. The moon aligns with the nodes and the sun about ...

Although it may be a mere coincidence that the two events occurred together, astronomers and geologists have since concluded that the relationship between the sun and Earth plays a major role in ...