If an asteroid hit the moon, what would happen on earth?

Answer 1

It depends on how large, and what directions the moon and asteroid were moving when the collision took place.

The moon is constantly bombarded by micrometeroids-- well, since there's no atmosphere for them to enter, I suppose they would be better termed microasteroids. NASA had to take that into account when the Apollo spacesuits were designed. But the impact of these is negligible. As noted in an earlier answer, an impact occurred recently that was large enough to be seen by Earth-based telescopes. It rearranged some of the lunar landscape and made a new crater, but did not affect Earth.

If a huge asteroid impacted the moon, it might shift the orbit slightly, but there's nothing out there that's large enough to really produce a cataclysmic effect, like send the moon crashing towards Earth. The moon is simply too large and has too much momentum for anything that might collide with it to have much effect. Think of a marble hitting a bowling ball.

A collision could throw up some lunar debris, and with enough force to overcome the moon's gravity. Some of that debris could fall to Earth. If you recall the Mars meteorite that some scientists believe held fossilized remains of early Martian life, that's how it got to Earth, although the collision was with an asteroid and Mars, not the moon.

Answer 2

The moon controls the tides here on earth. If an asteroid were to hit the moon that was big enough to change its orbit, then our tides would be affected the most.

Asteroids do hit the moon quite frequently though. Just small ones so nothing really happens.

Answer 3

quite a few larger asteroid impacts might want to doubtlessly bypass the moon very slightly in it truly is orbit, even with the reality that there are not any gadgets sufficiently massive to bypass the moon so some distance out of it truly is present day route that it would want to crash into the earth in some thing below quite a few hundred million years. The moon is presently transferring away at a fee of slightly below 4cm each 3 hundred and sixty 5 days (a million.5in), the very maximum an asteroid might want to likely do might want to be to minimize that fee by the smallest margin. also, if the moon did collide with the earth, the earth might want to bend and flex in the route of the moon, land might want to likely chop up and crack, the tides might want to bypass out of control, issues might want to bypass loopy, yet no, the international does no longer resemble the avatar international by any ability - the moon doesn't produce adequate gravity to counteract the gravity of the earth. The moon also has really minimum magnetic presence, so it does no longer impression the earth's magnetic field. differences in gravity might want to impression tidal interest and air density, which could in turn have massive impacts on the elements, besides the undeniable fact that the magnetic field might want to proceed to be intact. in reality - international is cracking and splitting on the exterior, the tide is increasing and falling a tremendous quantity (as in, 1000's of meters). no longer some thing is flying or floating because the moon's gravity isn't adequate to conquer the earth's, besides the undeniable fact that the elements is distinct because of a substitute in climate (no longer unavoidably firestorms, only such issues as snow in a barren region).

Answer 4

One did hit the moon recently. A telescope spotted it. Nothing happened on Earth.

Answer 5

I don't think it would affect the earth much unless the impact disturbed the moons orbit around earth.