blocks the sun during a solar eclipse? If it was smaller or further away then it would just be a dot passing in front of the sun, and if it was bigger or closer then the spectactular corona would not just poke around the edge....
2006-12-30 02:40:48 · 6 answers · asked by jademonkey 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
it's just a coincidence that the Moon and the Sun have such similar angular sizes as seen from earth.
In fact this won't last very long (on astronomical timescales). The moon is moving away from the Earth ("very slowly"), so eventually will have a smaller angular size than the Sun and we will no longer have total solar eclipses.
2006-12-30 03:03:58 · answer #1 · answered by Tharu 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Of course, there is no real answer to that question. Consider this addition, however: what are the chances of man being on the earth at a time when the moon is just at the right distance to eclipse the sun? In the far future, as it recedes from earth it will become too small, and in the far past it was too close and too big for the spectacular views we get. This recession is caused by tidal effects of the earth on the moon. I know of no information on the subject, but it is possible that some of the moons of the outer planets are just the right size and distance to create a similar total eclipse (many of them are smaller, or more distant from their 'mother' planets but the sun is farther away and hence smaller).
2006-12-30 11:06:45 · answer #2 · answered by David A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer is none...this is because this moon would have to be either enormous to be one from mercury or Venus (if they even had a moon, which they don't). Only a moon from mercury or Venus could be used to create a solar eclipse, as they are the only two planets from the earth and the sun. Due to the tremendous distance between earth and Venus and then mercury, the moon would have to be larger than the earth...however due to the size of these two planets (both smaller than earth), they do not have enough gravity to hold a moon larger than itself. Therefore i conclude there is a zero probability of another moon causing a solar eclipse in the solar system as we know it.
Hope this helps! :D
2006-12-30 11:48:32 · answer #3 · answered by Chris K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would seem that there could be a small moon or one father away that would look the same in an eclipse.
It's just that the shadow on earth would be smaller.
2006-12-30 10:52:48 · answer #4 · answered by Floyd B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
theres no answer to that. dumb luck. or if your religious enough (or too much) FAITHHHH
2006-12-30 10:43:50 · answer #5 · answered by markymarc999999 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's where God wanted it.
2006-12-30 10:44:58 · answer #6 · answered by spir_i_tual 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋