noun
- The rotation of two or more objects at the same angular velocity, or the state of rotating together as a unit.
- In astronomy, the condition in which a celestial body's orbital period equals its rotational period, causing it to always show the same face to the object it orbits.
Usage: technical; astronomy; physics
Usage: astronomy; also called tidal locking
Examples
- The Moon is in corotation with Earth, which is why we always see the same side of it.
- Binary star systems often exhibit corotation when their orbital and rotational periods match.
- Corotation of the galaxy's spiral arms with its disk is a key feature in galactic dynamics.
- The planet's corotation with its star suggests a history of tidal interactions.
- Engineers designed the system to maintain corotation between the two rotating shafts.