The Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth due to tidal interactions between the two celestial bodies. Earth's gravity causes tidal bulges in the oceans, and as the planet rotates, these bulges are slightly ahead of the Moon due to Earth's faster rotation. This creates a gravitational "pull" that transfers angular momentum from Earth to the Moon, causing Earth’s rotation to slow down while pushing the Moon into a higher orbit, moving it away at a rate of about 3.8 centimeters per year. As the Moon moves farther, Earth's rotation will continue to slow, lengthening the length of a day over millions of years. In the distant future, this process could lead to Earth and the Moon becoming tidally locked, meaning Earth’s rotation period will match the Moon's orbital period, making both bodies show only one side to each other. However, this is billions of years away, and before it happens, the Sun’s expansion into a red giant may have more dramatic effects on both bodies.

Tags: Moon's recession, tidal forces, Earth-Moon system, lunar drift, tidal bulges, Earth's rotation, slowing Earth, angular momentum, orbital mechanics, Moon's orbit, Earth's tides, gravitational interaction, future of Moon, space-time dynamics, Earth's future rotation, tidal locking, celestial mechanics, long-term orbital changes, Moon-Earth relationship, Moon's distance from Earth, rotational slowdown, Earth's angular momentum, moon moving away, Earth's day length, moon's future.

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