Peter S/Y Anicula wrote:

The gravitational force acts only toward the center of mass of the

system. This cannot by itself produce two bulges.

When you say that, you are mixing two explanations. That doesn't work.

We can certainly look at the gravitational force from the moon and the
gravitational force of the earth separately, and then ad the two, to
have a look at the combined forces. If you do not include part of the
rotation element, it works just fine.

If you only look at the gravitational forces, you can explain the two
bulges!


Well you keep saying that but it is not so. Unless you unclude the fact
that the system is rotating you cannot make two bulges on opposite
sides. Jeff posted a URL, have a read and then you will see the problem
-I hope.

It is an abstraction. Not the "truth". Even if you include the
rotation it is still an incomplete abstraction. We are discussing
different incomplete models. We haven't yet reached anything near the
"truth".

I was under the impression that gravitational models are very accurate
indeed. How else could we shoot a probe through the Cassini divsion?
Is'nt that near some sort of "truth"?

Cheers