Earth – Nature Noon

10 Things That Would Happen if We Had No Moon

Here are 10 things that would happen if we didn’t have the moon. How about much shorter days? So if you want to learn 10 things that would happen if the Moon went missing, then you’re in the right place. Let’s jump right in! 10 Things That Would Happen If the Moon Went Missing Our gleaming, silver Moon is a staple of the night sky. It has been the inaugural landing place for man, a calendar system for ancient civilizations, and more. Also, the Moon has several profound astronomical impacts on our Earth that you may not be aware of. But, what if we had no Moon? How would this impact life as we know it? Compared to 10 effects of having two Moons, the outcomes are much less chaotic. However, some of the impacts might surprise you or even downright shock you. Without further ado, here are the top 10 impacts that would happen if we had no Moon. #1 No More Eclipses. Ever. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, partially or completely blocking the Sun’s light. Alternatively, a lunar eclipse is when the Earth passes in between the Moon and the Sun, partially or completely blocking the Sun’s light from hitting the Moon. Ultimately, neither solar nor lunar eclipses would be possible ever again without a Moon. While these have zero impact on any biological factors, they are a rare treat for humans and would be missed. #2 High Tides Are No Longer High In 10 effects of having two Moons, we learned that our tides saw the greatest impact. They became vicious and deadly. On the other hand, if we had no Moon, the tides would also change, but much more favorably. Though the Moon and Sun both affect Earth’s tides, the Sun has a rather underwhelming impact overall. So, if we had no Moon, our tides would be about 40% as high as they are today, which would be quite small. And, while this would not hurt or help anything, it would be easily noticed. #3 Total Darkness at Night Every one of us has been outside at night during a full Moon and during a new Moon as well. But, we might have taken for granted how much light the Moon actually provides us with at night. Anyone who has been camping far outside of the city will attest that without man-made city lights, it is downright dark. If we had no Moon, this would be commonplace on any given night. While this would be a true blessing for backyard astronomers, it would definitely be a game-changer. #4 Need for Different Vision With no Moonlight to pleasantly illuminate our nights, the evolution of human eyes would be much different. One of the amazing things about advanced organisms is their natural ability to evolve to adapt to changing environments. Because of this, if we had no Moon, our eyes would slowly adjust over time to be able to see better at night. #5 Nocturnal Animals Would Evolve Too If we had no Moon, the dark nights would naturally put nocturnal predator’s prey at an alarming disadvantage. Therefore, the prey would organically evolve simply for the sake of survival. Furthermore, the nocturnal predators would also evolve and adapt to survive. With more intelligent prey, and more opportunities to hide in the darkness, the predator would also up its game, so to speak. Plus, the nocturnal predators with marginal night vision would be in trouble if we had no Moon, as the new darkness would be too much. #6 Our Days Would Be Much Shorter The Moon creates tidal friction on Earth. Basically, this means the slight gravity of the Moon gradually slows the Earth’s spinning down. If we had no Moon, we would have no tidal friction. The result of this would be a drastically faster spinning Earth, creating much shorter days. Also, this would cause drastically more days in a single year as well. #7 Earth Would Dangerously Wobble Complicated physics between Earth and gravity prevents it from wobbling while it orbits. If we had no Moon, the Earth would rock back-and-forth wildly as it traveled around the Sun. Obviously, this would create serious dangers for buildings, cities and people. #8 Axial Tilting Our Moon helps the Earth stay relatively fixed on its axis, meaning it helps us sit properly upright in relation to our orbit around the Sun. So, if we had no Moon, the Earth would tilt, often dramatically. This tilt would have tremendous effects on the climate because our poles would randomly change to Africa, Europe, and other atypical locations. Needless to say, freezing polar climates in new places, like Africa’s deserts, would be unusual. Occasionally, the Earth would sit completely upright on its axis. And, the result of this would be equally long days and nights. Also, this zero-tilt would temporarily eliminate seasons. #9 No Small Step for Man, Is One Nonexistent Leap for Mankind Sure, this one is complete speculation, but Apollo 11 would have never happened if we had no Moon. Arguably, mankind would still have never set foot beyond Earth. Our modern technologies are still planning on how to reach places like Mars. So, it stands to reasons that in previous decades, Mars travel would have been nearly infeasible. Furthermore, the Apollo program still serves as one of man’s greatest achievements. It was a point in time that served as an impetus for humans to strive and push their own limits. If we had no Moon, would Kennedy have made his lofty wager? Would space travel have been a focus for government spending? #10 We Would Have, and Will Survive Finally, if we had no Moon, life still would have sprung up and taken place. Also, if the Moon were there, only to disappear at a later time, we would still survive. In either case, there are no effects dramatic enough to eliminate mankind. Although, in both situations, life as we know it would be much different, as listed by all of the previous reasons. …

Astronomy

10 Things That Would Happen if We Had Two Moons

Here are 10 things that would happen if we had two moons. How about increased crime rates? So if you want to learn 10 things that would happen if the Moon cloned itself, then you’re in the right place. Let’s jump right in! 10 Things That Would Happen if We Had Two Moons But, what would happen if we had two moons? Unfortunately, most impacts would be shocking and would likely be the cause of mass extinction on Earth. However, there are a couple positive outcomes sprinkled in. We are assuming that the new Moon is around the same size as our current Moon for this list. Without further ado, here are the top 10 most significant impacts that would happen if we had two Moons. #1 Fewer Dark Hours Each Night If we had two Moons, there would obviously be twice as much moonlight. Plus, the two Moons would likely rise and set at different times, causing much fewer dark hours. Because of this, nocturnal creatures would behave much differently. Nighttime hunters would see prey much more easily. Therefore, this would cause a biological need for nighttime prey to increase their camouflage. Eventually, the need to survive would become much greater. This would likely cause predators and prey to become much more intelligent and savvy. #2 Tidal Friction Tidal friction is the process of the Moon’s gravity slowing the Earth down ever so slightly. Picture your finger barely touching a spinning basketball. If we had two Moons, tidal friction would gradually increase over very long periods of time. Ultimately, this could cause drastically longer seasons and some extreme effects. One could be that deserts are receiving more rain, becoming more fertile. Or, the opposite, in which fertile forests could dry up, becoming barren deserts. #3 Double the Eclipses On a lighter note, if we had two Moons, we would have twice as many eclipses. The eclipses would vary depending on where the new Moon sat (between Earth or beyond our current Moon). If it were near our current Moon’s position, we would enjoy twice as many solar eclipses. However, if it were smaller or beyond our current Moon, we would still have twice as many eclipses. Still, half of them would be partial and fairly underwhelming. Fortunately, eclipses are simply a visual enjoyment for humans, and they have no impact on living conditions. #4 Seaside City Dangers If we had two Moons, the tide is far and away from the greatest impact. With two Moons tugging on Earth and causing ripple effects, tides would turn completely chaotic. Because of this, shorelines would rapidly erode, causing seaside buildings to be destroyed. Therefore, major cities like San Francisco and New York would be in grave danger. #5 New Innovations for Water Now, with seaside dangers from our new tides, new innovations for gathering water would be necessary. If we had two Moons, seaside buildings would constantly be destroyed by wild tides. And, since close proximity is needed for sewage and other water systems, we would be forced to reinvent these processes. #6 Our Concept of a “Month” If we had two Moons, our long-lived concept of a calendar month is now useless. Now, the brilliant monitoring of ancient civilizations and tribes would be unnecessary now. Rather, we would be forced to adopt a mixture of short and long months. #7 More Tides. More Problems. If we had two Moons, the tidal impacts would be devastating. Gravity from two Moons tugging on the Earth would create double the ripple effect. And, the outcomes of this would be tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural disasters. Obviously, this would spell a tragic end to most life on Earth. #8 High Tide x 2 If we had two Moons, we would also have two “high tides” per day. Yet, this would not be the bonus to surfers that it may seem. Now, waters are drastically more turbulent and dangerous. And, the increasingly dangerous waters would make sea travel far less safe. Ultimately, this could have severe impacts on: Trade Travel industries The military And more #9 Increased Crime Rates Several studies over time have found correlations between full Moons and crime rates. Full Moons cause tension, found to often result in irrational behavior and criminal behavior. So, if we had two Moons, theoretically, these crime rate spikes could double. Violent crimes, property theft, and more could swell throughout the months. #10 The Ultimate Lunar Collision Finally, there would be several situations in which the two Moons could collide with one another. If this were to occur, it would mean mass extinction for all life on Earth. Firstly, as the two bodies collide, large chunks of debris could fall to Earth, causing several disasters. Finally, no matter what, the collision would create a gigantic cloak of debris, wiping out life on Earth. Immediately, plants, animals, and humans would all freeze and cease to exist. We are familiar with this outcome through theories of how the dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago.

Astronomy

How Do We Know the Earth is 4.6 Billion Years Old?

This about the Earth’s age. The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. If you’re wondering how we know that the Earth is 4.6 billion years old, the answer is right here. Let’s dig in! How Old Is the Earth? Currently, scientists are quite confident in dating planet Earth at 4.6 billion years old. However, that is not to say we have not seen our share of shocking revelations on otherwise “bullet-proof” theories in past centuries (*cough* Earth-centered universe. (*cough, cough* expanding universe!). But how do we know the Earth is 4.6 billion years old? Over the past centuries, human beings have thrown several guesses at Earth’s age. In fact, many ancient cultures simply assumed the Earth began when we did (as far as they knew, at least). For instance, the Romans assumed that Earth was born at the time of the Trojan War. Like many long-term scientific theories, ideas change, people get embarrassed, new thoughts are born. Indeed, we humans have often taken rather arrogant approaches to our reasoning over the years. Only to find out we were wrong––and possibly a bit self-centered. Enter the Science-Art of Dating Planets First of all, if we want to know how old something is, we start by finding the oldest piece. Similarly, we begin by finding the oldest possible pieces of our planet to test to date Earth. Fortunately, understanding how to find old pieces of Earth is rather straightforward. Unfortunately, actually getting to these pieces is another story. After all, by way of plate tectonics, Earth itself is trying to remain age-anonymous by recycling materials over time. Yet, small portions of these ancient materials do survive and exist today. Radiocarbon to the Rescue Now, we have found materials we think could be old. So how do we test them? Most of us are familiar with the term carbon-dating between movies, books, and high school science class. Basically, carbon (the element of all things living) predictably decays over time. Using these decay timeframes, we can tell, with great accuracy, how old something is. But, we can also use other decaying elements to learn a material’s age (Uranium-lead, Samarium-neodymium, Rubidium, etc.). Each of these elements decays reliably over time. As a result, we can understand, rather precisely, how long ago something was alive. Therefore, also understanding just how old it is currently. The Old Australian Zircon You may be asking yourself, “what is the oldest material we have found on Earth?” After all, we need this information to learn about Earth’s age, right? To date, a small piece of zircon, found in Australia, is the oldest known rock on Earth. Based on heavy testing, this zircon tells us that Earth is at least 4.374 billion years old, give or take a few hundred million years. “Give or take a few hundred million?!” Indeed, in junior high math class, a margin of this size would have certainly earned you an F. However, in cosmic terms, a few hundred million years is like an hour or two.

Astronomy

What if Pluto Became Earth’s Second Moon?

This is about what would happen if Pluto became a moon of Earth. Pluto would provide quite a nice place to colonize. So if you want to know what would happen if Plus become Earth’s second moon and all the details about it, then this article is for you. Let’s jump right in! Pluto as Earth’s Second Moon The dwarf planet Pluto is located in the far reaches of the solar system. On average, it is 40 times more distant from the Sun than the Earth. Its surface area is slightly bigger than Russia’s. You can fit 150 Pluto’s inside Earth. So what if this small dwarf planet were to become a moon of the Earth? Pluto Starts Its Travel That would mean that Pluto would need to get closer to the Sun, which would provide quite a few drastic changes to its surface. Pluto would need to travel a massive 4.5 billion miles. Even light takes five hours to reach Pluto from the Earth. Pluto’s surface is 98% nitrogen ice. The melting point of nitrogen is minus 410° F, and the boiling point minus 383° F. But as Pluto approaches Earth, it gets closer to the Sun. The temperature of Pluto would rise. The frozen nitrogen melts and makes a nitrogen ocean that covers the entire surface of Pluto. The only solid thing on Pluto’s surface would be watered bedrock mountains, which would be sticking out of the nitrogen ocean. It would be quite a magnificent sight. The Pluto’s would not last for very long because while Pluto approaches the Earth, it’s getting closer to the Sun. Nitrogen will reach the boiling point, making all of the nitrogen notions slowly evaporate. Creating a very blue and somewhat thick atmosphere. The atmosphere will last only for a few thousand years because of the low gravity. Pluto’s surface area is going to be mostly water ice. It gets frozen at 32° F. Because it will be minus, it will be a frozen water ocean. It will be like that for a long time until it reaches Earth’s orbit, where the temperature is usually 50.3° F. Depending on Pluto’s atmosphere there, the water, ice layer of Pluto will start to unfreeze. Creating a water ocean covering Pluto’s surface. Oceans will likely stay liquid throughout day and night because of the atmosphere. So heat would be transformed. Pluto’s Effects on Earth as a Second Moon Pluto is quite a small object, even smaller than the Moon, and it is smaller by a lot. The Moon’s surface area is double the area of Pluto, and the surface gravity of the Moon is more than two times stronger than Pluto’s. So if Pluto is, let’s say, 300,000 miles away from the Earth, it would not have that much effect. The Earth tides and waves would be a bit bigger, and the day’s length could change by a few minutes. But in general, everything and everyone on Earth would likely be fine. So Pluto would appear as a small blue ball in the sky. It would be smaller than the Moon, but it will look quite magnificent with flowing oceans that would be pretty deep, maybe even more so than the Earth’s ocean. In fact, with Pluto being a moon, it would have more upsides and downsides. Pluto would provide quite a nice place to colonize. It would have water and a good enough temperature with a blue and somewhat to take atmosphere. But the atmosphere will go away after a few thousand years. It will return to the old thin atmosphere, meaning temperature will again begin to be unstable, likely from 122° F during the day and minus 122° F at night. Meaning oceans will freeze during the night and be liquid during the day. Still, humans by that time will likely figure out a way to keep an atmosphere. So, of course, Pluto will not begin to drift towards the Earth. It’s just a fun idea to see what would happen. And it looks like it is quite a good tot that would provide humans another place to live on, which would extend humanity.