The odds of you walking outside and finding the moon gone are slim because so much would happen to let you know that it disappeared. We’ll use this article to look at what would happen to this planet and those who live here if there wasn’t a moon.
Dark Nights
Between streetlights and the lights in the sky, you can wander around outside on a clear night without tripping over your feet. You probably don’t realize just how bright the moon is and how much natural light it produces. Not only is the moon the largest object in the sky, but it also helps reflect the light from the stars back onto the planet. If the moon was gone, you would expect to see much darker nights. Second to the moon in terms of brightness is Venus, which is significantly less bright than the moon. Venus is also further away from our planet and would not send back as much light.
Prepare for Impact
If something happened that caused the moon to explode, you would need to prepare for the impact. Two things could happen if the moon was destroyed. The first is that it would produce debris that came together in a ball shape to form a second moon of a smaller size. This is the best-case scenario. In the second scenario, the debris produced by the explosion would find its way to Earth and strike in the form of meteors. Though the impacts likely would not wipe out humanity, they could cause significant damage and even kill people.
Hunter and Prey
The orbits of the moon and sun determine the length of each day. If the moon suddenly disappeared, it would wreak havoc on the ecosystem. Predators such as owls hunt at night. Most predators survive off small rodents and insects. Those rodents would have a much easier time hiding from the hunters if there was no moon because they could use the brightness to confuse their attackers. This could significantly change our ecosystem and lead to large infestations. Insects and bugs that had no predators could also eat farm crops, which would result in a lack of food.
Tidal Changes
You might not realize just how the moon affects the ocean’s tides. As the moon rotates, it changes the way the tides come near the beach and recede into the water. Without the moon, those tides could grow out of control. Some scientists believe that the water could strike in the form of large waves that would wipe out major cities on both coasts, including Los Angeles and New York City. Without obstacles such as buildings standing in their way, the tides could spread across the country too. Even those living in the center of the country would not be safe.
Climate Changes
If we didn’t have a moon, we would also experience some severe and rapid climate changes. The climate of the Earth depends heavily on its axis and its angle to the moon. This is why certain parts of the globe have tropical climates with high temperatures and why others have winter climates with cold temperatures and lots of snow and ice. The effects likely wouldn’t happen right away but would occur over the coming days and months. If you live in a region with long and harsh winters, you might suddenly find yourself dealing with long and hot days. Climate changes would also occur because the Earth’s location and angle to other planets would change.
We Need the Moon
It’s fairly clear by this point that the Earth needs the moon. Though it might look useless from the ground, the moon helps the Earth stay on its axis and determines the weather and climate of each region. Losing the moon would cause some serious problems, including affecting the balance between predators and prey animals and changing the ocean’s tides. The next time you use a telescope, check out the moon and think about how much the Earth needs it.