In astronomy, synchronous rotation is a planetological term describing a body orbiting another, where the orbiting body takes as long to rotate on its axis as it does to make one orbit; and therefore always keeps the same hemisphere pointed at the body it is orbiting.

The Moon is in synchronous rotation about the Earth. In fact, most major moons in the solar system have synchronous rotation due to tidal locking.

See also

• Tidal locking
• Tidal acceleration
• Rotation
• Synchronous orbit

Planetary science

Синхронно въртене | Rotació síncrona | Vázaná rotace | Bunden rotation | Gebundene Rotation | Sinkrona rotacija | Synchronisatiehoogte | Bunden rotasjon | Obrót synchroniczny | Bunden rotation