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That's fairly small for an object. It wouldn't have any significant gravitational effect on the moon or the earth. Tidal effects go as the cube of the distance. So the sun has about half the tidal effects of the moon. If this object were in low earth orbit (400km altitude), then the relative tidal effects on the surface when it is overhead would be about ...

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Now perfect balance between the centrifugal force of orbital rotation and sun's gravity is impossible so the earth's orbit should either be slowly decaying inwards or expanding outwards due to difference in magnitude of those opposing forces. This assumption is incorrect. We could make the same argument about a weight suspended from a spring. ...

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I am certain that mathematical analysis of tidal locking has been done many times but I have failed to find such an analysis where the mechanism for the transfer of angular momentum to spin angular momentum is included which is the question which has been asked. Perhaps someone is able to produce a reference or an analysis? Having experienced on a number ...

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This is actually a famous theorem known as the Einstein Equivalence Postulate (sometimes Equivalence Principle). It's true that since Earth is spinning, acceleration in a spacecraft isn't quite the same situation we experience daily, but in general, yes, gravity is indistinguishable from uniform acceleration. Specifically, if you are in a box with no windows ...

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Gravitational fields aren't homogeneous. Here on the Earth, a clock on the floor runs more slowly than a clock on the table, and we have clocks precise enough to measure such small differences due to the gravitational gradient. But doesn't a clock in an accelerating spaceship run at the same rate no matter where in the ship you put it? See page ...

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