Pretty
Neighbor Moon
So close to us
The moon is
about 385.000 Kilometers (239.000 miles) away from us. Or if you want, the same
distance it takes to go 10 times around the Earth.
If we were
standing on the moon, we would have one sixth the weight we have on Earth.
The moon
makes one turn in exactly the time it takes to go around the Earth. As the moon
turns in this way, we see only one side of it, but it shows different sides to
the sun. If you were on the moon, you would see the Earth stay pretty much in
one spot in the sky (if you were on the side that always faced the Earth).
However, you would see the sun move across the sky, making one complete turn in
29 1/2 days.
The moon would have a daytime that was just over two weeks long and a nighttime
that was just over two weeks long.
The tides
At any
given time, the side of the Earth that faces the moon is about 7% closer to the
moon than the side that faces away from the moon. That means that the side
facing the moon gets a somewhat stronger gravitational pull from the moon than
the other side. The Earth is therefore stretched slightly on a line connecting
the center of the Earth with the center of the moon, and there is a bulge on
either side. As viewed from the land, it seems that the ocean rises higher,
increasing to a maximum high tide and then receding to a minimum low tide,
which it does twice a day. Actually, since the moon moves in its orbit between
one high tide and the next, a given spot on the Earth’s land surface is likely
to experience a high tide every 12 1/2 hours.
“Time and
tide wait for no man”.
As the
Earth turns through the ocean bulges on either side, there are places where the
water is shallow enough to cause considerable friction between the water and
land as they move relative to each other. The water scrapes the ocean bottom
over large areas as it comes in to high tide and recedes to low tide. This
friction acts exactly as the friction of the brake linings of a car act. Some
of the turning motion of the Earth is used up by the scrapping action of the
tides, and the planet experiences a braking effect. The turning of the Earth is
so forceful, however, that the braking effect is minuscule. In fact, as a
result of the tides, the day lengthens by only one second in 62500 years.
Naturally,
the Earth has a tidal effect on the moon, too. Since the Earth is 81.3 times as
massive as the moon, it produces a considerably larger tidal effect. As a
result, the moon’s rotation has slowed to the point that it turns only once in
the course of its revolution around the Earth. That means it faces only one
side to the Earth, so that the tidal bulge on its Earth- facing side and the
one on the opposite side are frozen in place, and it undergoes no further
slowing because of the Earth’s tidal effect. Thus, it is not a coincidence that
the moon’s rotation on its axis and its revolution about the Earth take the
same amount of time, it is a consequence of the tidal effect.
For more detailed information, please refer to: Isaac Asimov's "Guide to Earth and Space".
HUMAN BASE SETTLEMENT ON THE MOON (by Caal Sema)
Only 12 humans landed and walked on the surface of the moon and since Apollo 17 in 1972 there have been no humans to set foot on the lunar surface. So, if you noticed (we are in 2018), 46 years have been gone already with no greater news of similar achievements, at least concerning the subject of humans returning there. That means at least that setting foot on the moon is one thing but to live there permanently is a very different, difficult and complicated matter. The necessary radiation and micrometeorite shielding, the control of temperature gradients, the breathable atmosphere, the control of dust contamination among several hundreds if not thousands of other critical issues just to be on the safe side of long term moon human survival does need a further and considerable amount of research data and knowledge that we humans still need to accomplish and acquire. And that will take some time before we are ready. I expect at least 8 to 10 decades more.
HUMAN BASE SETTLEMENT ON THE MOON (by Caal Sema)
Only 12 humans landed and walked on the surface of the moon and since Apollo 17 in 1972 there have been no humans to set foot on the lunar surface. So, if you noticed (we are in 2018), 46 years have been gone already with no greater news of similar achievements, at least concerning the subject of humans returning there. That means at least that setting foot on the moon is one thing but to live there permanently is a very different, difficult and complicated matter. The necessary radiation and micrometeorite shielding, the control of temperature gradients, the breathable atmosphere, the control of dust contamination among several hundreds if not thousands of other critical issues just to be on the safe side of long term moon human survival does need a further and considerable amount of research data and knowledge that we humans still need to accomplish and acquire. And that will take some time before we are ready. I expect at least 8 to 10 decades more.
If you search for all Lunar missions in the recent
years you will believe that humans will not stop planning to set a permanent
base on the moon. We have now China, US, Russia, India, Europe
and Korea involved in space projects that may go through a lot of setbacks in
the future but will certainly end with a moon base settlement, sooner or later.
The sooner or later dates have been postponed now for 2030 and although many
scientists and moon project leaders (like Bernard H. Foing, Executive Director of International Lunar Exploration Working Group) believe that in 2050, humans will have finally
set foot on the moon permanently, for all we know now, that is still far from reality. Even if the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, China, India and Korea combined
all the knowledge regarding cryogenic engine technology, navigation systems,
aeronautics and astronautics, all space technology available along with all moon
gathered information and solutions for those hundreds or thousands of critical issues, even then it will be a miracle if the colonizing of the moon could take place around 2050. Eventually this global reunion of many politicians and scientists would
have to reach an agreement but that is so improbable to become true, that for the time being we must proceed with the dream and continue to make research, find solutions and make real viable plans in order we can hope to establish the first moon
human base around 2100. Any date before that is nothing but a dream.
The pure power of one’s dreams is sometimes strong
enough to win over the most difficult job. Here in lostwww, we want at least
to keep this dream very alive. In "Future Timeline", I even predict (dream is more appropriated) that we will be 1 Million on the moon at 2600. This is only 582 years from today.