Asteroid Hits Moon / Breaks it up:

In summary, the conversation discusses the potential effects of an asteroid hitting a moon in a fantasy book setting. Questions are raised about the asteroid's potential impact, the size and behavior of the moon's broken pieces, and the resulting changes on Earth. The conversation also mentions a similar scenario in a book by Jack McDevitt, where a hypervelocity object shatters the moon.
  • #1
Paul Magill
1
0
I don't know much about Astronomy or physics.
But I am researching to write a fantasy book set in a historical age where Earth has 2 moons and in a sub-plot one is hit by an asteroid and destroyed.

We know what the effect of an asteroid hitting Earth is.

What about it hitting the moon, a big enough one, to break the moon up.

1. Would the asteroid then stop ?

2. How big would the moon pieces be ?

3. And how would these pieces react in Orbit ?

4. How many of these peaces would fall to the Earth ?

5. How would they fall and what damage would they do ?

6. Timeframe and rate of this ?

7. Surely the speed of moon pieces falling to Earth is minutely slower, than an asteroid ?

8. What sort of new daytime and night effects would we expect to see.

P.s. Just your normal Monday morning questions !

The premise is that large pieces of the moon contine to orbit Earth until they fall into Earth's atmosphere where the large ones don't burn up, but fall on certain lands and continents, and sea's also I guess.

p.s. I know the chances of an aesteoid hitting the moon instead of Earth is slight, but for the purpose of my book its orbit will be magically changed to intercept the comet and save earth.
 
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  • #2
Many of these questions are specifically addressed in Jack McDevitt's novel Moonfall, wherein a hypervelocity object shatters the Moon; I highly recommend it.
 

1. How likely is it for an asteroid to hit the moon and break it up?

Scientists estimate that an asteroid impact on the moon is rare, with the probability of it occurring being about 1 in 10,000 per year.

2. What would be the consequences of an asteroid hitting the moon?

If an asteroid were to hit the moon and break it up, the debris from the impact would likely cause a significant amount of damage to the moon's surface. This could also potentially affect Earth's tides and cause disturbances in the Earth's orbit.

3. Can an asteroid hitting the moon cause it to change its orbit?

Yes, depending on the size and force of the impact, an asteroid hitting the moon can cause it to change its orbit. The change may be subtle, but it could have long-term effects on the moon's position in our solar system.

4. Is there a way to prevent an asteroid from hitting the moon?

Currently, there is no known way to prevent an asteroid from hitting the moon. However, scientists are constantly monitoring near-Earth objects and developing plans to potentially deflect any potential threats that may arise in the future.

5. What could we learn from an asteroid hitting the moon?

An asteroid impact on the moon could provide valuable insights into the history and formation of our solar system. The debris from the impact could also provide samples for scientists to study and potentially reveal new information about the composition of the moon and other celestial bodies.

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