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EmilyHopkins
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What would happen to the Earth's momentum theoretically speaking if the moon was destroyed by some outside body such as a asteroid ?
Simon Bridge said:depends on the details ... basically the asteroids momentum would get added to the system.
Not in a significant amount for reasonable masses in spaceflight.Would landing on the Moon and leaving the lander behind (Mass) have an affect on this ?
According to wikipedia, the total mass of all man-made objects on the moon is about 180 tons.Martinaston said:@mfb
Describe "not a significant amount" after 43 years + however much more junk is up there from all the other probes/landers, please.
Earth's momentum is its tendency to continue moving in a straight line at a constant speed. This momentum is transferred to the moon through the force of gravity, causing the moon to orbit around Earth.
The moon's orbit around Earth actually causes a slight change in Earth's momentum. This is because the moon's gravitational pull creates a tidal bulge on Earth's surface, which exerts a force on Earth's rotation and slows it down slightly.
No, the moon's effect on Earth's momentum is relatively small and does not significantly alter Earth's overall momentum. However, over a long period of time, these small changes can add up and affect Earth's rotation and orbit.
The moon's orbit has no direct impact on the seasons. However, the tilt of Earth's axis and the moon's gravitational pull do affect the distribution of sunlight on Earth's surface, which plays a major role in creating the different seasons.
Yes, changes in Earth's momentum can cause small changes in the moon's orbit. This is because Earth's gravity also affects the moon's orbit, so any changes in Earth's momentum will also affect the moon's orbit. However, these changes are relatively small and do not significantly alter the moon's orbit.