Moons like Earth's could be more common than we thought

[muriel_volestrangler]

About one in 10 rocky planets around stars like our Sun may host a moon proportionally as large as Earth's, researchers say.

Our Moon is disproportionately large - more than a quarter of Earth's diameter - a situation once thought to be rare.

Using computer simulations of planet formation, researchers have now shown that the grand impacts that resulted in our Moon may in fact be common.
...
Also, our Moon has served to stabilise the tilt of the Earth's axis - or its obliquity - which could otherwise have varied drastically over relatively short time scales. That in turn would wreak drastic changes to the way heat from the Sun is distributed around the planet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13609153

It's just simulation, but it might turn out to have important implications for the development of complex life on planets.

[bananas]

1. I wonder what the late Alexander Abian would have said about this?

Do moons make complex life more likely or less likely?
"Abian gained a degree of international notoriety for his claim that blowing up the Moon would solve virtually every problem of human existence."
At least one DUer knew him: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5861623&mesg_id=5864518

[struggle4progress]

2. What a great thinker! "Blowing up the Moon would solve virtually every problem of human existence."

The internet is such a wonderful learning opportunity! :D

[Orsino]

3. It would solve the problem of human existence, all right. n/t