The Earth happens to be in the midst of a cosmic coincidence. During a solar eclipse, the Moon perfectly covers the Sun. This is because the Sun is 400 times farther away from the Earth than the Moon and the Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon.
Coincidence?
2006-10-12 23:33:00 · 17 answers · asked by Mr Slug 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
OK, for the benefit of the discussion we'll assume it a coincidence. What are the chances of this happening on any other planet?
2006-10-12 23:39:06 · update #1
CJunk, I didn't use the end bit because 100million years is a very, very long time. Humans have been on the earth for a fraction of that time. What are the coincidences that this phenomena should occure whilst humans have existed on the earth?
2006-10-12 23:45:16 · update #2
I don't fear science, I have a physics A' Level :)
To my knowledge there is much that science can not prove. There are also many coincidences like this one.
2006-10-12 23:48:31 · update #3
correlation is not causation
actual quote from Wikipedia
"
The Earth happens to be in the midst of a cosmic coincidence. During a solar eclipse, the Moon perfectly covers the Sun. This is because the Sun is 400 times farther away from the Earth than the Moon and the Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon. This was not the case 100 million years ago (when the Moon was closer to the Earth), and it will cease to be the case in the distant future."
EDIT
Good point
Some aspects of the development of humans may be linked somehow to the position of the moon. Many would say the women's cycle is related to the moon. The sun and the moon does effect much on earth. The moon effects tides etc. We also have the 'moon illusion'(maybe a possible indicator of some sorts). There is also the effects of Solar and Lunar eclipses on primitive mans minds as another indicator of some sorts. Check out http://www.columbia.edu/~rcc20/ma.pdf for an essay on primitive mans views on the eclipses and efforts into how to educate common people on the science behind it
You may be right then, maybe there is something worth looking into there. Something to do with gravity maybe. hmmm
2006-10-12 23:35:34 · answer #1 · answered by CJunk 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Does the word coincidence scare you. There are so many random things happening in our lives, in this world and in this universe that somewhere at some time coincidences will occur. It would be weird if there was never any coincidences. If these eclipses didn't happen you'd be claiming 'god' was making sure we always had daylight by making sure the moon didn't cross the moons path.
2006-10-13 01:00:21 · answer #2 · answered by Jack c 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a coincidence at the moment (although it doesn't actually cover it up completely, it just blocks most direct light) but back several thousand/million years ago it would have been closer and would have blocked light completely. In the future (millions of years in the future) we won't have lunar eclipses due to the Moon moving further away from the Earth.
2006-10-12 23:42:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
i'm undecided. i'm going to have self assurance evolution way till now i think that "Jesus did it!"....or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. yet there's a distinction between clever layout and Creationism. Creationism is Christian in nature and bends technological know-how to greater healthy the Bible as a fashion to no longer offend Biblethumpers. identity is largely a thought that some style of understanding might have created the universe. it quite is autonomous of any faith. even maybe saying that this unknown-to-us understanding could be evil, indifferent or some unusual inexplicable ingredient with motives previous our awareness. identity is a thought that would not deserve too lots time except given valid sufficient reason to dedicate the time to it, however. meaning we'd ought to acquire reliable reason to think of something like this may be shown or disproven definitively.
2016-10-19 07:47:55 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very good question. Its amazing that anyone could believe this was a coincidence. There has to be a reason for it. Either there is some reason why there has to be a correlation between these two distances, to keep the moon in orbit with the Earth, or it was designed.
The fact that people are so sure that it is a coincidence show just as much "blind faith" as those who don't.
2006-10-12 23:44:47 · answer #5 · answered by scruffianben 1 · 1⤊ 3⤋
YES*...the moon is getting further away!
'Measurements show that the Moon is receding from Earth at a rate of about 3.8 centimeters per year.' Nasa
* i.e. there is no guiding hand of God - it happens because the orbit of the moon is currently at the correct distance for an eclipse - that's all!
2006-10-12 23:41:30 · answer #6 · answered by Mr Crusty 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An eclipse is bound to happen at some point when you have bodies of different sizes in elliptical orbit. At any given point to an observer in the right place, there will be an eclipse. Of course it's coincidence. It is proof of physics, not god.
2006-10-12 23:36:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Determinism. The Sun, earth, moon etc. are where they are as the result of the physical laws that influence them. There are no coincidences.
2006-10-12 23:39:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Total coincidence. The moon is actually getting further away so soon there will not be a total lunar eclipse
2006-10-12 23:35:22 · answer #9 · answered by poli_b2001 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
the only reason it's even interesting is down to the human brain's pattern recognition ability and desire to see meaning in things. what bearing does it have on anything? so the moon almost exactly covers the sun during an eclipse? so what?
2006-10-13 09:34:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋