The Moon is getting farther from Earth. Will this continue forever?
A) Yes. The Moon will always drift away from Earth.
B) No. When Earth's rotation slows to zero (because of tidal friction), the recession will end.
C) No. When Earth's rotation slows to match the motion of the Moon (synchronous rotation), the recession will end.
D) No. Earth's rotation will slow to a stop and then reverse direction. At that point the Moon will begin to move closer to Earth again.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Moon's recession from Earth will stop once Earth's rotation slows to match the Moon's orbit, achieving a state of synchronous rotation. This means the same side of Earth will always face the Moon, halting the process that causes the Moon to move away.

The Moon Is Getting Farther from Earth