The Mystery of Earth's Tides

Something strange is happening. We've learned that earth's oceans rise and fall twice each day to create tides. But there's also a tidal bulge as if the oceans are straining outward. We need you on the case. I staked out the seaside. Read a few science books and learn the tides are related to the positions of the sun and the moon. The water of earth's oceans is pulled by the gravity of these two celestial bodies. This gravitational pull creates a tidal bulge and increase in elevation of the ocean on one side of the earth. This causes tides, but the sun and the moon aren't the only explanation for the tides. We knew that the moon orbits the earth, but that's not the whole story. The moon and earth actually orbit each other. Why haven't I heard about this till now? Explain. Imagine two balls, one large and one small, connected by a piece of twine. Twine is itchy. Better make it string. String then. The ball's represent the earth, and the moon. Now, imagine them spinning around each other, tied by a string. Because earth is so much heavier than the moon, its orbit is much smaller. But it is this motion of earth around the moon that causes the bulge on the side of earth opposite the moon. Um. Interesting. So the gravitational pull of the moon and sun plus the orbit of the earth and moon around each other cause earth's oceans to experience a tidal bulge on opposite sides of the planet at the same time. Case solved.