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Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts) Tue May 19, 2020, 02:33 PM May 2020

If the moon were as close to the Earth as the International Space Station...

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Steve Stewart-Williams @SteveStuWill

If the moon were as close to the Earth as the International Space Station… 😲

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6:30 PM - May 18, 2020

Whoa!

I guess eclipses would be more frequent

5 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

If the moon were as close to the Earth as the International Space Station... (Original Post) Dennis Donovan May 2020 OP

Eclipses would be unknown misanthrope May 2020 #1

The tides would be hell. nt tblue37 May 2020 #2

cool. yonder May 2020 #3

Eek! ironflange May 2020 #4

There's something in astronomy called the Roche limit. Jeebo May 2020 #5

misanthrope

(7,408 posts)

1. Eclipses would be unknown

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Tue May 19, 2020, 02:36 PM

May 2020

The tidal forces would make life exceedingly difficult, if not impossible.

tblue37

(65,227 posts)

2. The tides would be hell. nt

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Tue May 19, 2020, 02:37 PM

May 2020

yonder

(9,657 posts)

3. cool.

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Tue May 19, 2020, 02:41 PM

May 2020

ironflange

(7,781 posts)

4. Eek!

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Tue May 19, 2020, 03:14 PM

May 2020

Jeebo

(2,021 posts)

5. There's something in astronomy called the Roche limit.

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Tue May 19, 2020, 03:15 PM

May 2020

If a smaller orbiting body is within that proximity limit to the larger body, the gravitational tides will break up the smaller body.

In other words, it is not possible for the moon to be that close to the Earth. In that case the Earth would have rings made of lunar debris instead of a moon.

-- Ron

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