Ebb and Flow Effects: Impacts on Moon & Earth?

In summary, the moon has a rather large mass, but the spacecraft's Ebb and Flow are traveling rather fast with quite a lot of momentum. If Ebb and Flow hit the moon, they could have a significant impact, with debris returning to Earth or the moon rotating enough that we could see new areas with a telescope.
  • #1
P_I
4
0
OK, so the moon has a rather large mass (I found somewhere a comparison with Earth which gave a value of about 75 billion trillion Kg/M3), but the spacecraft s Ebb and Flow are traveling rather fast with quite a lot of momentum(132KG each, 6050km/s = around 800000Kg m/s). So what sort of things might happen when Ebb and Flow hit the Moon?

I'm fairly sure that someone at NASA has already worked this out, but While my confidence in natural laws is high, my confidence in human beings is not as complete and it occurs to me that what NASA thinks will happen might be a little different to what does happen.

While I'm sure any miscalculations or oversights will be very small, what are the implications of such an impact going wrong? could debris from the impact return to earth? if it does will it be spectacular, or terrifying? could the moon be rotated enough that we could see new areas with a telescope, or might it even begin to have a rotation like the Earth's?

I can imagine a whole host of possibilities, but I'm afraid my astrophysics is very limited and am curious as to what more learned minds might postulate.
 
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  • #2
P_I said:
the spacecraft s Ebb and Flow are traveling rather fast (6050km/s)
You've got that number wrong by the factor of 3600.
In other words, it's per hour, not per second.

edit:
but even if it was 6000km/s, the kinetic energy of the impactor would be ~2,5*10^15J, or the equivalent of a ~600 kiloton nuclear explosion(most warheads today have higher yelds, I believe).

The actual speed they're going to hit the Moon at is ~4 times less than the escape velocity of Earth.
For comparison, a typical meteor hits the atmosphere(or the Moon for that matter) at ~108000km/h(i.e.Earth's orbital speed).
 
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  • #3
Thanks. heh, After expecting it to be 6050km/s , 6050km/hr seems so slow!

Ah well, still very interesting. (not as interesting as putting people there though)
Cheers.
 

What is the meaning of "Ebb and Flow Effects"?

The term "Ebb and Flow Effects" refers to the regular rise and fall of ocean tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon on the Earth's oceans.

How do the Ebb and Flow Effects impact the Moon?

The Ebb and Flow Effects cause the Moon's surface to bulge slightly, creating tidal forces that slow down the Moon's rotation and push it to move further away from the Earth over time.

What are the consequences of the Ebb and Flow Effects on the Earth?

The Ebb and Flow Effects can impact coastal areas by causing changes in sea level and strong tidal currents. They also contribute to the Earth's rotation and help regulate the Earth's climate and ocean currents.

What factors influence the intensity of the Ebb and Flow Effects?

The intensity of the Ebb and Flow Effects is influenced by the positions of the Moon and the Earth, as well as the alignment of the Sun and the Moon. The shape and depth of the ocean floor also play a role.

Can the Ebb and Flow Effects be predicted?

Yes, the Ebb and Flow Effects can be predicted using mathematical equations based on the positions of the Moon and the Earth. However, predicting the exact timing and intensity of tides can be challenging due to the various factors that influence them.

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