Re: Planet rotation

[Gary Karshner <karshner@STMARYTX.EDU>]

At 11:41 AM 7/13/99 -0400, you wrote:
> If indeed, as it appears, Venus has retrograde rotation, won't the
> sun's tidal effect be to STOP its rotation (relative to the 'fixed'
> stars) and then move it toward the non-retrogade rotation that will
> match its year?

Chuck,
        For the sun to stop Venus  relative to the fixed stars implies that there
is an at rest inertial coordinate system. This is precluded by relativity.
The best the sun would do is to stop its rotation relative to itself, as
the Earth has done with its Moon.
        Actually the closest we can get to an absolute inertial frame is the three
degree background radiation, which we are moving through.

Gary
Gary Karshner

St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas
KARSHNER@STMARYTX.EDU