Education logo

Content warning

This story may contain sensitive material or discuss topics that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised. The views and opinions expressed in this story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Vocal.

What Would Happen If the Moon Orbited Earth Faster?

what would happen if the Moon orbited Earth faster

By tahamina tabassumPublished 29 days ago 3 min read
Like

The moon travels at a pleasant, constant one kilometer per second around a planet. Hold on, you haven't seen anything yet, even if you think that's fast. So how is this possible to occur? What would happen if the moon orbited Earth more fast than it does now, when it approaches Earth? The moon's gravitational attraction would increase, dramatically speeding Earth's orbit.

at a constant, pleasant one kilometer per second across the surface of a planet. Hold on, you haven't seen anything yet, even if you think that's fast. So how is this possible to occur? The moon's orbit would accelerate dramatically if it kept getting closer to Earth because of its growing gravitational pull.

This serves as the basis for Kepler's Third Law, which stipulates that the moon's orbit would accelerate if it kept getting closer to Earth. If this is the basis for Kepler's Third Law, then as the moon got closer to Earth, its orbit got faster and faster. If that happened, people would be able to see the moon more regularly and witness lunar eclipses on a regular basis due to its enhanced speed and visibility. But the agony on Earth below would not be made up for by the breathtaking view of the sky. The moon's gravitational pull would rip apart the Earth's crust if it got closer, causing a rise in seismic activity and volcano eruptions all over the planet.

Furthermore, don't believe that you can escape the heat by cooling off by the sea. Allow me to clarify: the oceans rise and fall due to the Sun, Earth's gravity, and the moon's orbit.

Therefore, as the moon approaches, the ocean's tides would rise—roughly eight times higher than usual—resulting in flooding of coastal cities and total submersion of certain islands. Residents in low-lying coastal areas will always be at risk if they choose not to escape.

However, what would happen if the moon were to travel significantly faster? Remember Kepler's Third Law when thinking about the moon.

if it got closer, it would simply orbit faster; at this moment, if it got closer to 18 470 kilometers, it would reach The Moon approaches Earth to the point known as the Roche Limit, where the tidal forces between us would be powerful enough to break this gray rock in two. Luckily, this wouldn't be possible because our moon would be propelled into space as it accelerated. Yes, this is because our natural satellite would have enough momentum to break free of Earth's gravity once it reached 1.4 kilometers per second.

This is where the real horror begins.

The tides would become smaller and weaker without the moon.

Animals that rely on food items that are often floating in the ocean would not receive the nutrients they require to survive without the churning tides, and nocturnal predators would struggle to successfully hunt in the absence of the moon's light. While life on Earth would be turned upside down, the planet Earth also has an orbit that is inclined by around 23.5 degrees, which is what permits the seasons to occur. This might lead to a mass extinction of organisms on land and at sea. But because of the moon's gravity, this tilt cannot increase; otherwise, the seasons might

The Earth might experience extreme weather and enter another ice age if the tilt considerably increased, yet weather patterns might continue until the end of time. Indeed, a quicker lunar orbit might wipe out all life on Earth very soon. But what if we filled the sky with all of Jupiter's moons, rather than losing the moon?

CONTENT WARNING
Like

About the Creator

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.