Tidal locking is a phenomenon that occurs when the gravitational forces between two bodies, such as a planet and its moon, cause one side of the smaller body to always face the larger one. This means that the smaller body rotates on its axis in the same amount of time it takes to orbit the larger body, so one side is permanently facing the larger body while the other side is permanently facing away.

A classic example of tidal locking is the Earth's Moon, which always shows the same face to Earth due to tidal forces. This is why we only see one side of the Moon from Earth. Similarly, many moons in the solar system are tidally locked to their parent planets.

Tidal locking occurs because gravitational forces exerted by the larger body deform the smaller one, creating a bulge on the side facing the larger body and another bulge on the opposite side. As the smaller body orbits, these bulges are constantly pulled by the gravitational force, which eventually slows down the rotation until it matches the orbital period.

Tidal locking is a common phenomenon in the solar system and beyond, influencing the dynamics of planetary and satellite systems. It has implications for the climate, geology, and potential habitability of celestial bodies subjected to tidal locking.
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