• Question: If we didn't have the moon what will happen

    Asked by 552gdna29 to Tora, Clare on 11 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Clare Harding

      Clare Harding answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      If we had never had a moon, one of the biggest things that would happen is that the days would be shorter, probably only about 6-8 hours long because the gravity of the moon has helped slow down the spinning of the earth. If the moon disappeared tomorrow (perhaps due to aliens?) then it would take million of years for the earth to speed up so it wouldnt make too much difference although it would be darker at night.

      Also, we would have almost no tides (just those from the sun) which would change the seas and definitely the beaches!

    • Photo: Tora Smulders-Srinivasan

      Tora Smulders-Srinivasan answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      I think Clare’s answered this well — but I would add that the Earth in general would be a very different place if we never had a moon — and that life on earth would be very different as well!

      What do you think would happen if we lost the moon now? (somehow this is reminding me of Doctor Who a few episodes ago…) 😉

Comments

  • Photo: Daniel

    Daniel commented on :

    Clare is right. The biggest change we would see on Earth would the effect on the tides. These are important for so many environments and wildlife because it is all adapted to actually having tides!
    But…the moon is actually moving away from the Earth – at about 5 cms a year! – and the strangest thing is that the tides of our oceans are actually pushing it away. That is because the gravitation pull of the Earth-Moon system sets up the tides, but the tidal bulge been ahead of the moon due to the spin of the Earth actually pushes back slightly differently and results inb pushing the moon away and off into space…

  • Photo: 552gdna29

    552gdna29 commented on :

    Thank you