Our moon is constantly moving. Each year it moves away from Earth by about 3.8 cm. Because of this, the rotation of the Earth slows down. What if the Moon just disappeared one night? It is enough to mention that its existence is crucial for the functioning of life on our planet.
- Earth’s natural satellite is more than just a “beacon in the night sky”
- The life of thousands of animal species depends on the “presence” of the moon, but also the weather
- The absence of the Moon would cause extreme changes in the weather – suffice it to mention that such a situation could result in the loss of the Earth’s stable tilt axis. In the past, changes of 1 or 2 degrees triggered ice ages
- Below is a transcript of the video contained in the text
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The full moon is an average of 14 thousand. times brighter than the next brightest object we see in the sky at night – Venus.
Without the moon, it would be dark as new moon every night. The view of the stars would be spectacular. However, the very next morning we would realize how important the Moon is to life on Earth.
Disturbed life under water and on land
From the group that includes the Sun, rotation Earth and the Moon, it is the latter that has the greatest influence on the tides. Without it, ebb and flow would drop by about 75%. This would endanger the lives of many species of crab, mussels and sea snails that live in the tidal zones. It would also disrupt the food cycle of larger animals that feed on the above. As a result, the entire coastal ecosystem would be disrupted.
One of the largest spawning areas in the world is Great Barrier Reef. Each November, in the days following the full moon, coral colonies along the reef – which covers an area larger than New Mexico – produce millions of eggs and dandelions in a matter of minutes. Scientists believe that fullness plays an important role in this timing, but exactly what remains a mystery.
On the surface, animals such as red crabs also use the moon to reproduce. After spending most of their lives in the mountains, millions of adult crabs migrate towards the coast. And only during the last quarter of the Moon do the females release their eggs into the sea.
Extreme weather
It is true that the moon does not have such an impact on the reproduction of people, but without it, another matter important to us would change – the weather. Tidal flows and currents help the cold, arctic water mix with the warmer waters of the tropics. This balances the temperatures and stabilizes the climate around the world. Without the moon, weather forecasts would have been nearly impossible. The difference between the average temperatures in the hottest and coldest places would grow to an extreme that would be life-threatening.
See also: They want to send 6.7 million germ cells to the moon. Such an “ark” is to protect humanity
However, this is nothing compared to the biggest change that would take place in the next millennium. Currently, the tilt of the Earth’s axis is 23.5 °, which is mainly due to the gravity of the Moon. If it were to disappear, the axis tilt would be between 10 ° and 45 °. Some experts estimate that Jupiter could help Earth so that it does not lose complete control of its slope. But even an extra 10 ° of slope could wreak havoc on climate and seasons.
In the past, the tilt of the Earth varied by about 1 ° -2 °, which scientists believe caused ice ages.
The moon is crucial to life on Earth
It’s hard to guess what would happen to life on Earth if the tilt changed 10 ° or 45 °, but probably nothing good. The moon is not only essential to life on Earth today. Experts believe it may have played a key role in the formation of life on Earth more than 3.5 billion years ago.
It turns out that the Moon is not only a beacon in the night sky. Its existence is crucial for life on Earth to be possible.
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