If the sun will expand to engulf us, or if global warming is increasing, why don't we move the earth a bit away from the sun? What can we use to get the energy required to move this gargantuan body?
And the sun is expected to swallow us in 5billion years - we better start pushing the earth gradually away from the sun until we reach the neighbourhood of another star, which will carry on the function of our present star.
2006-07-06 11:14:23 · 7 answers · asked by Fontonfrom 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
On paper this may be possible but the actual application of such a plan just wouldn't be feasible. The variables involved are staggering. How do we avoid crashing into the other objects in our solar system? What would the Earth's sudden movement do to the orbit of the moon? Where would we go? Where is that kind of power going to come from? How do we actually move the planet? Could we keep the Earth's rotatation stable during this? Would the Earth just rip itself apart from the force of the propulsion and the force of gravity fighting each other.
I'm sure there are many, many other points I'm missing as well.
When it all comes down to it, it would be far easier to build many spacecraft to carry us away and find a new planet to live on than to move this one.
Cool idea for a sci-fi movie though
2006-07-06 11:32:46 · answer #1 · answered by Paul G 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
F=ma, so to move a HUGE mass like the Earth just a tiny bit you would need an incredible force.
If you figured out a way to build a massive engine, and basically eject a large chunk of the earth into space, you would be able to change the orbit of the earth.
As for moving to another star, that's not possible at all. By the time you got to that other start the earth would freeze over, and everyone would die.
Long story short, it would be a lot easier to just completely shut down greenhouse gas emissions, and wait 4.9 billion years for technology to advance, than to move the freaking earth.
2006-07-06 22:50:35 · answer #2 · answered by Greenspan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd wait before trying that one. Most of the inside of the earth is still liquid rock. Remember, the earth is about 8000 miles in diameter and only the outer few dozen miles are solid rock. The rest is liquid. If you tried pushing against the earth to move it, maybe you'd make it pop like a balloon.
2006-07-06 12:39:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those doing the pushing may be left behind! That will require a lot of study and mastery to pull this one. Theoretically it's achievable. Which means we need to map out the course to take to avoid crushing into other bodies with powerful gravity.
2006-07-06 11:21:29 · answer #4 · answered by Science Mythser 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If we move away from the sun, we will die. We need it's energy for plant growth and heat. If we got even as far away as Pluto, we'd all die in about 1 month.
2006-07-06 12:37:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I herd that if the earth was 1 degree to the left we would burn to the right we would freeze.
2006-07-06 12:51:28 · answer #6 · answered by Teagan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, doubtful, I think that would mess up the whole alignment of the system...crazy question man...I'll leave the correct answer up to a scientist..
2006-07-06 11:18:59 · answer #7 · answered by The one and only 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋