My very first thought when I saw today's prompt are Tides. What exactly are tides anyway?
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of Earth.Spending time at the beach will get you to thinking about the tides for various reasons such as fishing, swimming and sunbathing, games, jogging, sand castles and tidal pools.
The tides are high when the moon is either directly over head where you are, or directly overhead on the exact opposite side of the earth. It works differently in each place. When the moon is overhead at your location, the moon's gravity is essentially pulling the water toward it. The opposite is true when the moon is overhead on the opposite side of the earth from you. The moon's gravity is pulling the earth away from the water on that side. There is a graphic here that shows this.
What I knew about tides from my beach trips was that there were both high and low tides twice a day, and that the moon affects the tides. Now I know more of how that works. Any coastal town will experience a high tide about every 12 hours and 25 minutes. If you are interested, you can find tide charts at any bait and tackle shop on the beach or just search online for tide charts.
Now let's stroll along the beach and enjoy The Tide Is High by Blondie.
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