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Re: Planet rotation



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?

Yes.

The zeroth order tendency of the tidal dissipation mechanism is to
produce the tidally locked situation. Given sufficient time any two
body system will reach that state so long as at least one of the
bodies is plastic. The intial rotational state of Venus is not
relevant here.

Leigh