Jakarta –
Did you know that Moon slowly away from Earth. This is known from the reflective panels on the Moon installed by NASA in 1969.
This shows that the Moon is currently moving 3.8 cm away from Earth each year.
“Accounts for the evolution of the Earth/Moon system tell us that at this rate of separation, in about 15 billion years, the Moon will stop moving away from Earth,” wrote a statement in The National Radio Astronomy Observatory, US.
British Astronomer Conjecture
The astronomer who first suspected this event was the famous British astronomer Edmond Halley. he guessed Moon receded nearly 300 years ago, after studying ancient eclipse records.
His suspicions were finally confirmed in the 1970s, when laser beams reflecting off mirrors mounted on the Moon by US and Soviet missions showed that the Moon was moving away at a rate of 3.8 cm per year.
“It is driven by the gravitational effect of the Moon on the rotating Earth. Rising tides in the oceans cause drag and thus slow the Earth’s rotation rate. The resulting loss of angular momentum is compensated by the speed of the Moon, and thus travels farther,” the statement reads. Science Focus.
At its current pace, scientists predict that about 50 billion years from now, Earth will slow down enough to face the Moon permanently and the Moon will stop moving away from Earth.
Is the Moon’s Distance from Earth Worrying?
Although the loss of tides in Earth’s oceans would certainly be dire and the rotational speed could be disrupted, Earthlings need not worry about that, for there are other things at play as well.
If estimates of the Moon’s receding are to be believed, then before that happens, the Sun will most likely engulf the Earth and Moon first in about 5 billion years.
This is because the Sun is constantly burning due to a process called nuclear fusion, which is constantly occurring in its core.
Watch Video “List of Astronomical Phenomena in 2023, There Will Be 4 Eclipses! “
(faz/nwk)
