Talk:Moon

Currently we say

• The Moon and Earth pull gravitationally on each other, creating tidal forces. These are the main drivers of Earth's tides and have synchronized the Moon's rotation period (lunar day) with its orbital period (lunar month), causing the Moon to face Earth always with the same side, a phenomenon know as tidal locking.

I think we can do better. We have a mutual force with consequences on both sides. But "...pull...creating tidal forces" does not make sense and I think the long second sentence is trying to do too much. How about something like:

• The Moon and the Earth interact through gravity. The Moon causes the Earth's tides. The Earth causes tidal forces on the Moon which have synchronized the Moon's rotation period (lunar day) with its orbital period (lunar month), causing the Moon to face Earth always with the same side, a phenomenon known as tidal locking.

@Nsae Comp Johnjbarton (talk) 02:43, 9 October 2025 (UTC)

mangled topic follows

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

• Know before Tidal Lock:
• Should be Known:
• grammatically incorrect:

2600:6C55:7BF0:5130:6011:E736:3908:E392 (talk) 03:04, 9 October 2025 (UTC)

 Done Meters (talk) 03:38, 9 October 2025 (UTC)

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Change: The Moon formed out of material from Earth, ejected by a giant impact into Earth of a hypothesized Mars-sized body named Theia 4.51 billion years ago, not long after Earth's formation.

To: The Moon is hypothesized to have formed out of material from Earth, ejected by the impact of a Mars-sized body named Theia 4.51 billion years ago, not long after Earth's formation.

Rationale: if Theia is "hypothesized" then logically so is the impact — a known impact cannot be caused by a hypothetical body; if we stipulate that an impact occurred, then the body must have been real. Additionally, the phrasing a giant impact into Earth is grammatically awkward and redundant; given that the impact resulted in material from Earth forming the Moon, that impact must have been with the Earth. ~2025-30896-10 (talk) 13:10, 8 December 2025 (UTC)

A good point. Have reworded the sentence to make clearer that this is a theory as well as to bring the full link origin of the Moon into visible space. Does this address your concern? Thanks. Randy Kryn (talk) 13:55, 8 December 2025 (UTC)

From my understanding, it is scientifically understood that the Moon is made of matter from earth, but the process through which this happened is only hypothesized, making the original sentence correct. Aston305 (complain/compliment) 14:32, 8 December 2025 (UTC)

Note: Marking this as answered based on the comments above, but it looks like this change needs further disucssion. Please establish a consensus for this change before reopening this edit request. - Umby 🌕🐶 (talk) 21:50, 8 December 2025 (UTC)

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

What is the source of this claim?

which is more than 5° relative to the Earth's equator

The rest of the page states that Moon's orbit inclined 5° relative to the ecliptic plane. Demon.michael (talk) 01:22, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

That paragraph was added by @Frodo Maximus

Other parts of the article have sources

• Wieczorek, M. A., Jolliff, B. L., Khan, A., Pritchard, M. E., Weiss, B. P., Williams, J. G., ... & Bussey, B. (2006). The constitution and structure of the lunar interior. Reviews in mineralogy and geochemistry, 60(1), 221-364. Orbit inclination 5.145° Inclination of equator to ecliptic 1.543° (1)

Since this is a Featured Article I will remove the claim as unsourced. Johnjbarton (talk) 01:41, 9 March 2026 (UTC)