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ViviThe primary force that holds the Moon in orbit around the Earth is gravity. The gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon causes the Moon to continually move in a curved path around the Earth. This balance of gravitational force and the Moon's inertia keeps it in orbit.
The Moon stays in its orbit under the force of the Earth's gravity. Without that force the Moon would follow a straight line at a constant speed, but the gravity force makes the Moon curve continuously towards the Earth. The law of gravity and the laws of motion were published by Isaac newton in 1687 and Newton used them to demonstrate that all the planets must follow elliptical orbits as decribed by Kepler's three laws of planetary motion.
The plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted by about 5 degrees to the Earth's orbit (the ecliptic), which means that the Moon can sometimes appear unusually high or low in the sky. The orbit is more complex than the planets' orbits, because of the disturbing effect of the Sun's gravity: the whole orbital plane rotates in the Saros period of about 18½ years.
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what forces act upon the moon as it is orbiting earth?
Gravity hold the moon in orbit
Is the moon pulled by the earth's gravity?
Yes, the moon is pulled by Earth's gravity, which keeps it in orbit around Earth. This gravitational force is what maintains the moon's position and prevents it from drifting off into space.
What is the gravitational force that hold the moon in orbit around the earth?
1.98 x 10 ^ 20 N
How does the sun hold Earth in orbit?
The sun's gravitational pull creates a centripetal force that keeps Earth in its orbit. Earth's forward momentum keeps it from falling into the sun while the sun's gravity keeps it from moving away. This delicate balance results in Earth moving around the sun in a stable orbit.
How do gravitational forces hold down celestial forces?
Gravitational forces hold celestial bodies down by attracting them towards the center of mass of the celestial body, which creates a stable orbit. This force is balanced by the motion of the object, which keeps it from falling towards the center. The strength of the force depends on the masses of the objects and their distance from each other.
