Is it possible to alter the moons orbit, so it is closer and faster? That would liven up the weather somewhat, and give the eco-nutters something else to complain about.
2007-02-07 09:37:10 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Smash a larger iron-core asteroid into it. That would create one heck of a debris cloud and could alter its orbit a bit.
You could also place a mass driver on the moon to throw bits and pieces off the moon...sort of acting as a thruster, but it would take several centuries to get any real effect.
You could also use one gigantic solar sail...say about the same diameter as the earth and, tether it to the moons surface. The sunlight would be used as energy to move the moon, but again, it would take a while.
2007-02-07 09:48:38 · answer #1 · answered by Fallon P 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The scary thing is, it would be very easy to alter the moons orbit, as has happened millions of years ago. Every planet, star etc is essentialy floating in a void. If enough force is applied to the correct place, it's entirely possible to NUDGE it into a slightly different orbit. Each planets orbit is VAST. A slight diferential in the orbit, continued over an orbit of hundreds of thousands of miles, would create a massive difference. If this happened life as we know it would find it very hard to exist on this planet.
If you were to detonate enough nuclear weopons in the same spot on earth, at the same time, the same thing would happen to this planet.
2007-02-07 17:44:35 · answer #2 · answered by trickyrick32 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Other than some catastropic event causing the moon's orbit to be drastically altered the moon is moving away from the Earth at roughly 3.8 cm per year.
2007-02-07 18:09:00 · answer #3 · answered by Cymro 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In The Hammer of God by Arthur c. Clarke they used a rocket called the T.I.T.A.N. to stop an asteroid form hitting Earth. That is one way. The others would be either using a large body to impact the moon, or by causing a large explosion near the Moon could make it move.
2007-02-07 17:46:26 · answer #4 · answered by lostonthevoid 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in fact a few millions of year ago the moon was much closer to the earth than now I can't really explain that.
I think that if you make it lose mass ,the centrifugal force will decrease so it will orvitate closer and faster ,not sure ,it is just an idea...at least I got two points,ja ja!
2007-02-07 17:52:30 · answer #5 · answered by pioltu 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
only if the gravity of the earth is altered
2007-02-07 17:43:54 · answer #6 · answered by Melissa G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
gravity or an impact large enough
2007-02-07 17:39:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
True.
2007-02-07 17:52:47 · answer #8 · answered by R.E.M.E. 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋