What would happen if life forms from another galaxy landed on the moon and claimed it first?

Question

Do we actually officially own the Moon? If another life form similar to us that was living in a galaxy just around the corner, some how managed to "CLAIM" the moon, would we be able to stop them? What would happen?

or even better, what would happen if Russia claimed the moon first and developed ways to inhabit it and live on there before the US did, and therfore creating a govournment and parliament and laws on the moon etc, BEFORE America does? (i'm just saying America because they seem to think they run the world :D )

Answer 1

1) Earth's countries have agreed by treaty that no country shall own any part of the Moon or any other body in the solar system.

2) if "they" (the life forms from another galaxy) lived in another galaxy and wanted to claim some unused space body, why come all the way here? Even inside our own galaxy, distances are, well... astronomical.

3) If they pick the Moon, maybe it is because they want to interact with us. If it is for good commerce, why chase them away?
if it is for bad commerce:

4) Presently, we could not stop them.
Unless... there exists some kind of inter-galactic body like the United Nations, where we would be able to demonstrate that we are worthy of recognition (we can't travel outside our own solar system yet; we still fight among ourselves for stupid reasons and we are destroying our own resources).

Which bring me to:

5) There are already American scammers who have claimed the Moon, At least one (Mr. Hope) has registered a claim of ownership for the Moon and all planets (except Earth) with the San Francisco County Office for Claims Registry. Therefore, as "owners" it will be their duty to defend their "property" against the invading aliens.

Answer 2

http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/SpaceLaw/moon.html
(66 page pdf file)
Moon Treaty

The Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, better known as the Moon Treaty or Moon Agreement is an international treaty that turns jurisdiction of all heavenly bodies (including the orbits around such bodies) over to the international community. Thus, all activities must conform to international law (notably this includes the UN Charter).

Bans any state from claiming sovereignty over any territory of celestial bodies.
Bans any ownership of any property by any organization or person, unless that organization is international and governmental

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty

It would be hard to tell anyone to leave the moon, we can ask but that is really all we can do.

Answer 3

Owning the moon means nothing else than being able to keep it i.e. firepower. If an alien species was capable of traveling here to claim the moon, we would probably be totally powerless.

Now if Russia did it, or that other rogue State Bushistan, it would probably not stand in any court of law. So war would ensue and then: who knows.

Answer 4

Good question, and you're right America does seem to think we run the world.
I think perhaps an alien life-form may encounter some hostility, at least from our government. World leaders would wonder what is to stop them from taking over the earth as well. I don't know if we'd make good neighbors though, we're loud, war-like and unpredictable and plus we junk up everything.
If Russia claimed it first I guess they'd just say, "Na na na-boo boo"!

Answer 5

We would probably freak out. Then communicate with the aliens, and when they said, we like your moon and we're staying otherwise we'll destroy earth, I'm sure we would find a comprimise. Especially seeing as how the aliens would have to be much smarter than us anyway having traveled from a distant galaxy. And we would probably start learning from them. But who cares, it's the moon! Live there all you want, just don't blow it up!

Answer 6

i think with other life forms it would be tragedy for us guys trying to claim back the moon cuz known as it is that they have more advanced weapons,then we wouldn't a chance at anything and maybe we would just be wipe out of the surface of the earth if we dared challenge them.
Incase of Russia and the America,i think the "cold war" as we know it would have turned into a "hot war" with the use of nuclear bombs.
so either ways we wouldn't a chance of seeing the next day!!!

Answer 7

If aliens took the moon, I bet they would have some cool stuff we could use. Being capitalists, we would establish a trade agreement and turn it into an opportunity to earn some money.

(I suppose a lot of people would complain about the Moon people taking American jobs, but that's something we would have to work out later.)

If the aliens took the moon, because its close to their food source (us!), then we would have to battle them.

It's pretty simple.

Answer 8

I, LarryH, already own the moon. But anybody who is nice may land on it. If you are a level 2 or above in Yahoo answers, you may have lunch there too!

Answer 9

But how would we go to war with something on the moon? I mean if we did wouldnt we destroy the moon along with the things on it? And if the moon is gone....

Answer 10

Maybe it should be like it is with squatter's rights: whoever gets there first. Now, if only we HAD actually been to the moon . . .