Tidal force the Moon produces a greater tidal force on the Earth than the Sun, even though the Sun exerts a greater gravitational attraction on the Earth than the Moon, because the gradient is less. The Moon produces a greater tidal force on the Earth, than the tidal force of the Earth on the Moon. The distance is the same, but the diameter of the Earth is greater than the diameter of the Moon, resulting in a greater tidal force. What matters is not the total gravitational attraction on a body, but the difference from one side to the other. The greater
Gaussian gravitational constant Gaussian gravitational constant The Gaussian gravitational constant (symbol ) is a parameter used in the orbital mechanics of the solar system. It relates the orbital period to the orbit's semi-major axis and the mass of the orbiting body in Solar masses. The value of historically expresses the mean angular velocity of the system of Earth+Moon and the Sun considered as a two body problem, with a value of about 0.986 degrees per day, or about 0.0172 radians per day. As a consequence of Newton's law of gravitation and Kepler's third law, and its value in radians per day follows by