The moon is kept in orbit around the Earth by a combination of speed and gravity, according to Newtons first law of motion. The moon wants to move off in a straight line, but the Earths gravity moves it slightly out of line, causing it to orbit around the Earth. The Earths gravity is strong enough to keep the moon in orbit, but not so strong that it pulls the moon towards it. The moons velocity and the force of gravity from the Earth keep it in a stable orbit. The moon is also tidally locked with the Earth, which means that it spins on its axis exactly once each time it orbits our planet. This synchronous rotation keeps the same side of the moon facing the Earth at all times. The moons orbit is also tilted about 5 degrees compared to the plane of Earths orbit around the Sun, which prevents us from having monthly solar and lunar eclipses.