Suppose the Moon orbited Earth with the same period it has now but in the opposite direction. Which one of the following would NOT change?
A)the length of a synodic month
B)the length of a sidereal month
C)the frequency of solar eclipses
D)the frequency of lunar eclipses

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The length of a sidereal month is determined by the Moon's orbit around Earth, which would not be affected by the direction of its orbit. The length of the synodic month (A) would still be 29.5 days because it is determined by the relative positions of the Moon, Earth, and Sun. However, the frequency of solar eclipses (C) and lunar eclipses (D) would change because the orientation of the Moon's orbit would be different.

Suppose the Moon Orbited Earth with the Same Period It