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
The Moon and the Sun time to complete the special effects work. The Moon and the Sun The Moon and the Sun is a novel by American writer Vonda N. McIntyre, published in 1997. The book combines two major genres: science fiction and historical romance (also known as alternate history). It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1997, beating out "A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin. The novel was inspired by the short story (written in the form of a faux-encyclopedia article) "The Natural History and Extinction of the People of the Sea", also by McIntyre, which was illustrated by