Regarding the question about Earth's slowing rotation rate. My understanding
is that eventually the Earth and Moon will eventually keep the same face to
one another, but the sun would become a red giant before this would happen.
I have to disagree with Gordan's assertion that the Earth would never
"stop
completely" (it wouldn't stop anyway, it would just rotate once a month
instead of once a day). Since the tidal intactions remove energy from the
Earth-Moon system, the process won't stop until tides cease. Also, I cite the
Pluto-Charon system. Pluto and Charon are much closer in mass than the Earth
and Moon are, consequently Pluto and Charon keep the same face towards one
another, and the rotation of Pluto is equal to the period of revolution for
Charon.
Also a related point of trivia, It has been established that the Earth
at one
time had a rotation period of 10 hours!
Troy
