Orbit of the Moon attraction that the Moon exerts on Earth is the cause of tides in the sea; the Sun has a smaller tidal influence. If Earth had a global ocean of uniform depth, the Moon would act to deform both the solid Earth (by a small amount) and the ocean in the shape of an ellipsoid with the high points roughly beneath the Moon and on the opposite side of Earth. However, because of the presence of the continents, Earth's much faster rotation and varying ocean depths, this simplistic visualisation does not happen. Although the tidal flow period is generally synchronized to
Chinese sun and moon mirrors "fangzhu" mirrors "jiàn" 見 "seeing" the sun and moon. The Way of Heaven is called the Round; the Way of Earth is called the Square. The square governs the obscure; the circular governs the bright. The bright emits "qi", and for this reason fire is the external brilliance of the sun. The obscure sucks in "qi", and for this reason water is the internal luminosity of the moon. Emitted "qi" endows; retained "qi" transforms. Thus yang endows and yin transforms. The unbalanced "qi" of Heaven and Earth, becoming perturbed, causes wind; the harmonious "qi" of Heaven and Earth, becoming calm,