synchronous rotation

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noun Astronomy.

rotation of a satellite in which the period of rotation is equal to the period of orbit around its primary, leaving the same face always pointing toward the primary: The moon is in synchronous rotation about the earth.

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Origin of synchronous rotation

First recorded in 1970–75

Words nearby synchronous rotation

synchronous converter, synchronous machine, Synchronous Meteorological Satellite, synchronous motor, synchronous orbit, synchronous rotation, synchronous speed, synchrony, synchroscope, synchrotron, synchrotron radiation

How to use synchronous rotation in a sentence

The loss of whitebark and the rapid increase in human-killed grizzlies are synchronous.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Following one week of “R&R,” the team will spend one more six-week rotation in the ETU before entering a three-week isolation.
$10,000 a Month for Ebola Fighters|Abby Haglage|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Palmer always keeps his word," beamed Weaver, putting the right hander back in the rotation.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up|Tom Boswell|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Others who will join the rotation include Alan Alda, Candice Bergen, Stacy Keach, and Carol Burnett.
Fall Broadway Preview: 'This Is Our Youth,' Bradley Cooper as ‘The Elephant Man,' and More|Janice Kaplan|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I heard no recent jazz releases, or any of the tracks currently in heavy rotation on the few remaining jazz radio stations.
Jazz (The Music of Coffee and Donuts) Has Respect, But It Needs Love|Ted Gioia|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The special application of these facts must be reserved till we come to treat of the rotation of crops.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
The remarkable difference in the proportion of these elements has been supposed to afford an explanation of rotation.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
Such an atom would by the rotation of the sphere accomplish no motion except, indeed, that it might turn round on its own centre.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
This evidence does not require us to abandon the supposition that the tides tend to diminish the earth's rate of rotation.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
In mammals the head rotates more easily, but valuable time is lost in the rotation of the whole body.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris

Scientific definitions for synchronous rotation

synchronous rotation

The rotation of an orbiting body on its axis in the same amount of time as it takes to complete a full orbit, with the result that the same face is always turned toward the body it is orbiting. Synchronous rotation is the result of tidal forces that over time slow the rotation of the smaller body until it is synchronized with its period of revolution around the larger body. The Earth's Moon exhibits synchronous rotation, as do a majority of moons in the solar system. Also called captured rotation Compare synchronous orbit.