Man in the Moon then cooled, becoming smooth, basalt rock. The near side of the Moon, containing these maria that make up the man, is always facing Earth. This is due to a tidal locking or synchronous orbit. Thought to have occurred because of the gravitational forces partially caused by the Moon's oblong shape, its rotation has slowed to the point where it rotates exactly once on each trip around the Earth. This causes the near side of the Moon to always turn its face toward Earth. Man in the Moon The Man in the Moon refers to any of several pareidolic images of
Sun and Moon (Middle-earth) Sun. In the universe of Middle-earth, the Sun is generally regarded as feminine, in recognition of Arien. This gender corresponds with Sól (Sun), the personified in Germanic mythology. The Maia Tilion was chosen to guide the vessel of the Moon. Names of the Moon amongst the Elves included Isil or "The Sheen", a name given to it by the Vanyar; Ithil, the common name for the Moon in Sindarin, as seen in "Minas Ithil" (later Minas Morgul) and the Gondorian province of Ithilien; and Rána, or "The Wayward", a name given to the Moon by the Noldor. A poetic name