Quote:
Originally Posted by bloodhound31
Regardless, it IS spinning as well as traveling a circular orbit.
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That is correct. The translational and rotational movements are independent from each other. They are superimposed. The Moon spins and has a both an angular and a linear momentum. It would preserve this momentum if the Earth disappeared in a puff of smoke by moving along on a straight line (a solar orbit really) while spinning at rate of 1/27d.
Cheers
Steffen.