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Name: Ben C.
Status: student
Age: 13
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 10/27/2003
Question:
Why is Mercury's year faster than its day? Is this just one of those thing that seem to happen?

Replies:
Ben -

The rotational period of the planets continues to approach its revolutional period due to something called tidal friction. In other words, at some theoretical time in the future (maybe after the sun ceases to exist!) all the planets would have one rotation for every revolution. You might wish to read up on it.

Larry Krengel


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