2007-09-28 06:44:01 · 7 answers · asked by kram27 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It has happened many times. The effect on earth is negligible.
2007-09-28 06:58:42 · answer #1 · answered by Renaissance Man 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There would be a lot of debris knocked off the Moon, much of which would be caught in Earth's gravity. The weak gravitational field will ensure that some debris will escape from the moon entirely. Any debris sent out in our direction will soon be firmly in Earth's gravity, which from a distance has 81 time more attraction upon an object than the Moon. That means in at most a day or so chunks of the Moon will be crashing into the Earth at velocities greater that 25,000 mph. Almost certainly there will be shards of the Moon big enough to cause titanic air bursts like Tunguska back in 1908 or massive craters in the ground. If you're talking about an impactor on the order of 50 or 100 miles across striking the Moon, it would be safe to say we'd be extinct when the dust settles. A one or two mile wide impactor hitting the moon will still affect us, but it won't wipe us out. It will however do damage here, mostly wiping out satellites and possibly damage on the ground from chunks of rock big enough to pierce the atmosphere and hit the ground at full cosmic velocity.
2007-09-28 14:06:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
How massive?, it would have to be enormous to do anything else besides shower the earth with meteorites. The moon is still close enough to the earth where it would have to be practically destroyed to move it out of orbit and have any potentially catastrophic consequences.
2007-09-28 13:53:16 · answer #3 · answered by lee s 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe some of the debris would hit Earth, so there might be more bright shooting stars for a few days. And the Moon would have a new crater, but of course that has no effect on Earth.
2007-09-28 13:49:18 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's too many variables for a simple answer. Size,angle of impact,location and composition of the meteorite would all be a factor.
There hasn't been a major impact in recorded human history so the answer of none can't be justified in my opinion. However,negligible consequences may be the the best answer.
2007-09-28 14:51:44 · answer #5 · answered by jethom33545 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No effect unless the moon falls on earth
2007-09-28 14:01:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cheese Whiz.
2007-09-28 13:51:51 · answer #7 · answered by jamoca 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋