3 ms·
It is indeed: > In some cases where the orbit is eccentric and the tidal effect is relatively weak, the smaller body may end up in a so-called spin–orbit reson
by Sharlin 7y ago
It is indeed:
> In some cases where the orbit is eccentric and the tidal effect is relatively weak, the smaller body may end up in a so-called spin–orbit resonance, rather than being tidally locked. Here, the ratio of the rotation period of a body to its own orbital period is some simple fraction different from 1:1. A well known case is the rotation of Mercury, which is locked to its own orbit around the Sun in a 3:2 resonance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking