The new Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider on Long Island accelerates atomic nuclei to 99.95 percent the speed of light and smashes them into one another. RHIC's site explains the how and why behind this nuclear commotion. The writing evokes the earnest enthusiasm of researchers working on cutting-edge problems. Ocean tides occur because the water is pulled toward the moon. Lunar gravity actually distorts the oceans into a slightly oval shape.
Water piles up on the side toward the moon.
But it also piles up on the opposite side, where the weaker lunar gravity lets the water drift away from the moon. These two tidal bulges remain essentially stationary over the time it takes Earth to rotate, which is why there are two high tides each day, not just one. The Walt Disney Company. Back to Homepage .