The Moon

[Thunder]

Pete, would you consider adding a Science section?

At least I think it is Science. It is also Astronomy.

I am watching an episode about our Moon and saw a surprising discovery that I was never taught about in school. The Moon is moving further away from us! At the rate of 1/2 inch each year, the moon is slowly moving away and the result on Earth will be catastrophic. Since the time I was born, the Moon had drifted 13" away from Earth.

Well, I've missed much of the episode, but I am watching the rest. I think this is an even bigger issue than Global Warming. Without our Moon, the climates will be drastically different all the time as Earth will wobble more and more.

I know that Obama will not care one bit, so I wonder which future Administration will try to save our Moon. Surely there can be major space machines to push the Moon back closer to us.

And there is a question about Earth gravitational pull becoming weaker. I wonder what is the cause of that. Earth is slowly losing the grip on our Moon.

[flintysooner]

It really isn't anything that will have noticeable effects until very far into the future. So far, in fact, that the chance of humans still being here is rather low.

[metro]

Get some tinfoil hats for your fish just in case Obama and crew doesn't do anything.

[jmarkross]

Get some rest Thunder...all is not lost....read this and perhaps you will not fear what happens 3,900,000,000 years from now...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_planet

[OKCisOK4me]

Yeah, what Jmark said. You're going to be millions of times dead from a long lasting life. This will have no effect on you or a line of your family before this ever has an effect on the earth. Mankind may not even exist on the planet when it has its effect. Be cool brother...

[Martin]

WE'RE THE MOON.

[jmarkross]

Worst thing about the Moon is...that damn big tablet they found buried up there in 2001...

[ljbab728]

Well, there's the perfect reason to vote Republican. Obama won't fix the moon. LOL

[cameron_405]

'Supermoon' catastrophe fears rear head after Japan tsunami - Does Japan tsunami prove 'Supermoon' catastrophe fears were legitimate?

The Internet has been abuzz with rumors, prophecies and popular consternation over natural catastrophes and extreme weather that the 'Supermoon' phenomenon on March 19 could bring about.

Friday's massive earthquake in Japan and the ensuing tsunami have laid bare popular fears that more such catastrophes could be on the way.

...a few photos I've taken of the moon:

Flickriver.com - Cameron_405 - Moon



...and, who says no good music came from the 90's?

1993 second version of the video, filmed for the US market. Originally released in 1992, this single charted at #1 in the UK, #14 in Australia, and #32 in the US. From Tasmin's debut album 'Great Expectations'.

[Thunder]

Interesting. I've never heard of a Supermoon. I will Google on that after I sleep.

Today's the 11th, not the 19th, but... I guess its only starting?

[Dustin]

The moon is the last thing we need to worry about. In about 10,000 years, most of the U.S. will under miles of ice and in about 100,000 years, half of the U.S. will be destroyed by a super volcano.

[MikeOKC]

Forget astrology. The question of the Supermoon is a legitimate scientific question.
http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/ast...upermoon_1.asp

[silvergrove]

The moon is always "full". The moon's mass just doesn't mysterious disappear when it's not in view, it's just in the shadow. What you see is what is illuminated by the sun.

Now if you want to talk about distance of the moon, again, that idea collapses under scientific observations. Just use Wolfram Alpha to look at the average and current distance to the moon. At the time of this post, it's about 243361 miles away. The average distance of the moon is 239000 miles away. The moon is further away from us now. And the moon oscillates in its orbit around earth. If the moon was really to blame, we'd have massive earthquakes on a set schedule!

[MikeOKC]

The moon is always "full". The moon's mass just doesn't mysterious disappear when it's not in view, it's just in the shadow. What you see is what is illuminated by the sun.

Now if you want to talk about distance of the moon, again, that idea collapses under scientific observations. Just use Wolfram Alpha to look at the average and current distance to the moon. At the time of this post, it's about 243361 miles away. The average distance of the moon is 239000 miles away. The moon is further away from us now. And the moon oscillates in its orbit around earth. If the moon was really to blame, we'd have massive earthquakes on a set schedule!

Distance doesn't make a difference as to what happens on our planet? Read this: http://www.moonconnection.com/apogee_perigee.phtml Basic stuff. Just read anything about the apogee/perigee differences as to what happens on Earth.

There are a lot of good informational resources on how the Earth and Moon are attracted like magnets. No scientist would deny this. It's also not fully understood. The best example: tides. Here's a good - and simple - introduction:
The Moon and Tides

The point being, as with so many things, there's a hell of a lot we don't understand and you can't blindly dismiss some of these theories. For example, some theories say that the minerals in the sea are the key to the relationship with the gravitational pull. That's why many scientists say you can't discount even human behavioral differences during the "Full Moon" - after all, we have minerals in our brain slush.

[ljbab728]

after all, we have minerals in our brain slush.

And some of the posters here seem to have more minerals in their brain slush than others. LOL

[Kerry]

[B][COLOR="Navy"]The Moon is moving further away from us! At the rate of 1/2 inch each year, the moon is slowly moving away and the result on Earth will be catastrophic. Since the time I was born, the Moon had drifted 13" away from Earth.

How long do you think the Moon has been orbiting the Earth? How long do you think we have been measuring the distance between the two to the nearest foot? Do you think it might be a little too soon to be making any projections? When you have a relativly short time span of data points you shouldn't be extrapolating out past it very far.

At 8AM Friday I had made $100 for the day. By 9AM I had doubled it to $200. By 11AM I had doubled that to $400. By next Friday I can retire with more money than Bill Gates. See how extrapolation doesn't work.

[cameron_405]

...as seen above Lake Hefner tonight (Saturday - 12 March 2011)

[bombermwc]

Well first off, the moon does have an effect on the Earth....hello tides. Gravity pulls between the two bodies....the closer they are, the more it pulls. So yes, when the moon is closer, it has more of a pull than when it's further away. Pretty much EVERYTHING orbits in a non-circular orbit and goes more eliptical. It's an effect from how each body interacts with the others in the solar system.

Yes the moon is leaving. It's a result of how the moon was formed....from a massive object smalling into the Earth and pushing crap out the other side. Never wondered why the rocks are so similar??? The inertia from that impact also is what is causing the moon to "leave us". But chances are, life on Earth will be long dead by the time the moon is gone. It's not great news to know the moon is leaving, but think about what will happen when it does go....here's the doozie.

If the moon leaves Earth's orbit at the right time, the Earth could orbit right back into the moon's path and KABLAMO....it's a history repeating itself. It doesn't have to fling itself out into the nothingness leaving our orbit away from us...it can leave orbitting IN as well as out.

We'll lose our junk absorbing shield for one thing, but when something that massive starts flying around the solar system on it's own, you're going to see millions of years of wild crazy crap happening.

Again, we'll all be long dead by then. Be it from another comet impact, or another ice age, or just wait for Yellowstone to blow...that'll kill the whole planet anyway. They're all recurring events in the Eath's history, and we have no reason to believe they won't happen again. Especially comets. The so-called planet X out past Jupiter (it's a failed brown dwarf many times larger than Jupiter) has been causing items from the Keuiper Belt to shoot around for millions upon millions of years. We only now understand why. Never heard of the planet? It's a fairly new discovery...twice now actually. But it's more detectable from gravity shifts than optics since it's so far out.

[Thunder]

Humans will never disappear. We will be able to extend our presence throughout space.

[MikeOKC]

...as seen above Lake Hefner tonight (Saturday - 12 March 2011)

Cameron, What an incredible photo. Wow!

[MikeOKC]

Humans will never disappear. We will be able to extend our presence throughout space.

If "we" haven't already. Maybe Earth is just another spot we've extended our presence from who knows where? I was first introduced to the theory of directed panspermia from Dr. Francis Crick. While he is well known as co-discoverer of DNA, many have no idea that someone of such renown, publicly expressed his support for the panspermia theory. It is just so...so...well.... logical.

If you want to learn more, this is an excellent starting point:
http://www.panspermia-theory.com

[cameron_405]

Cameron, What an incredible photo. Wow!

...thanks, Mike! Here's a photo you might find interesting -- long exposure (2.5 hours), shooting WSW from the backyard last night (Monday - 14 March 2011)

[UnFrSaKn]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/201103...ssaturdaynight

Oklahoma won't have a tsunami tomorrow Thunder, so no worries.

[cameron_405]

...Super-Moonlapse

Flickr.com/Cameron_405 - 10 minutes condensed into 15 seconds


(will post photos a little later)

[cameron_405]

...Super-Moonlapse

Flickr.com/Cameron_405 - 10 minutes condensed into 15 seconds


(will post photos a little later)