Ask a Question
or
Create a Poll
  1. Home /
  2. Questions /
  3. Science
  4. / Physical Sciences
  5. / Space And Astronomy
  6. / The Moon

by shamim jagot on December 4th, 2004

shamim jagot

Question

Help answer this question below.

Is it true that the Moon is slowly moving away from the Earth?

  • Like
  • Report
Share:
Other

Answers. Showing one answer.

  • by Jeremiah Britt on December 7th, 2004

    Jeremiah Britt

    Yes. You can blame tidal friction for this, the slowing of the earth's rotation, the tides, why we only ever see one side of the moon and the slightly squashed appearance of the planet (a few centimeters wider around the equator).

    Each year the moon's orbit grows by 3.8 centimeters. It will not fly away, however; it is assumed that in 15 billion it will stabilize at 1.6 times farther away, during which an earth day will be 55 days long. I say assumed because the sun will have grown and engulfed the earth and moon in 7 billion years, when it evolves into a red giant.

    Comments

    • Please tell me more if you can..... anyone?

      shamim jagot

      by shamim jagot on December 9th, 2004

    • http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=124

      Farino

      by Farino on August 14th, 2007

    • Like
    • Report

    2 comments | Post one | Permalink

Want to attach an image to your answer? Click here.

Did this answer your question? If not, then ask a new question or create a poll.

More Questions. Additional questions in this category.

You're reading Is it true that the Moon is slowly moving away from the Earth?

Follow us on Facebook!

Related Ads

Related Questions

Professionally Researched

Answerbag

a Demand Media company