2006-07-05 15:55:28 · 13 answers · asked by breathing_nitrous_oxide 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The moon's mass ratio compared to earth is about 1.23 percent, with a density ratio of 61.5 percent. The moon has no atmosphere, therefore there would be no atmospheric drag to slow it's impact. Comets will generally strike at a a nominal 51km/sec at about 45 degrees to the plane of the earth. It would take a massive comet to displace the the moon from it's orbit, and it's unlikely one of the proper mass exists even in the Oort cloud, or as an unknown NEO (near earth orbiting object). Comets have been detected as being mostly ice, frozen organic gases, and rock, with a rather small mass compared to rocky, iron based asteroid's. They also lose mass with each passing around the sun. I'll supply a link for an earth asteroid impact calculator that will give you many hours of fun in determining the effects of a asteroid/cometary strike to earth which has almost twice the mass of the moon. You can hit the earth with some truly massive asteroids and will see it has little to no effect on it's orbit etc.. Now if a dense asteroid, or a planetoid struck the moon that would be a different story. Excluding any mass ejecta striking the earth, the most dramatic change would be in the cycle of earth's tides, which would have an impact on the biological cycles of marine life that are keyed to the rhythm of the tides etc. It would effect marine navigation and destroy the massive d-base associated with tides and their impact on bays, estuaries, inlets, etc.
2006-07-05 16:26:39 · answer #1 · answered by Carl Nemo 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if something hit the moon that hard to alter it's orbit, there are a number of things that could happen.
1. it could destroy the moon and we would then have an asteroid belt around our planet until it formed rings. Of course we would be constantly showered with pieces of it for thousands of years.
2. It could swing it closer to the earth, possibly hitting it.
3. it could swing it further from the earth possibly hitting it or leaving the earths orbital pull.
4. If it altered the orbit but didn't hit us, it would shorten the days if it was closer, and lengthen them if it was further, also increasing or decreasing it's effect on keeping us on our axis, therefore screwing up our seasons pretty badly.
If it hit the earth, we'd die.
2006-07-05 17:38:15 · answer #2 · answered by ColvinBri 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would change the tides here on earth and possibly cause the moon to either escape earth orbit or send it into us at some point.
2006-07-05 16:02:32 · answer #3 · answered by hpisfun 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The moon has a huge affect on the tides. If it were knocked around, the oceans would change a quite a bit. I'm not entirely sure how, but that would be the big thing.
2006-07-05 15:58:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Comets are not big enough for that but if they ever were Earth's tides would drown people, the seosons would mess up, and we would freexe one day and burn in an hour.
2006-07-05 19:00:11 · answer #5 · answered by Eric X 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it was hit, more than likly it would impact the earth, unless it was hit at a different angle, but most likly, it would go right into earth, sucks huh?
2006-07-05 15:59:24 · answer #6 · answered by easymover00 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd be more worried about the object that hit the moon, as it would have to be pretty friggin' huge to do something like that.
2006-07-05 16:00:17 · answer #7 · answered by umwut? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you been watching to much Thundar the Barbarian....
a comet cant do that... not enough mass...
if something THAT colosal were to hit the moon... you'd kiss your butt goodbye.
2006-07-05 16:00:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that it would create a big disturbance in the oceans which could led to our extinction.
2006-07-05 16:04:19 · answer #9 · answered by cristina m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The tidal force would mess up.
2015-11-24 08:04:16 · answer #10 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋