• Question: What does the moon do?

    Asked by littlemisslaughter to Amy, Drew, Julia, Kimberley, Sara on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Drew Rae

      Drew Rae answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Hi there. As far as actively doing things, the moon is a lifeless ball of rock which orbits around the earth. That doesn’t mean it does nothing though. It reflects light down onto the earth, making it easier to see at night. Some insects use the phases of the moon as a sort of calendar, behaving differently when it is brighter. It also squeezes the earth slightly out of shape, causing tides.

    • Photo: Julia Griffen

      Julia Griffen answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      The moon does control the tides… which are essential for so many ecosystems. the world would not be the same no tides. reduced movement of fish or species.. No waves. no high low tides… Who knows how bug an impact it could have!

    • Photo: Amy MacQueen

      Amy MacQueen answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      And the moon provides somewhere for people to decide to get to – like Neil Armstrong! It also provides a nice ambience for a romantic night out…

    • Photo: Sara Imari Walker

      Sara Imari Walker answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hi again littlemiss! The moon is so valuable to us hear on Earth! Some even claim Earth would not have life without it. It is actually very special that we have a moon, especially one as large as the Moon! Rocky planets typically don’t seem to have moons like ours. Look at Mercury and Venus – no moons. Mars has two tiny ones that are really just captured asteroids. We have our moon b/c the Earth was struck by a giant proto-planet named Theia (about the size of Mars) when it was first being formed. A large chunk of Earth flew off and made the moon. This is a rare event! But I for one am very happy it happened.

      The Moon is important for many reasons. For one the tides are a crucial mechanism of cycling on Earth – important to many ecosystems as Julia has pointed out. Tides may have played an important role in getting life started here on Earth.

      But the main reason I love the moon is that it acts as our protector. Have you ever noticed all those craters on its surface? Those are caused by meteorites impacting the surface of the moon. In the Earth’s early years, it got struck a lot too. We still get hit occasionally by giant impactors (they think this is what may have killed the dinosaurs). But all those pock marks on the moon – those are all, every single one of them, from impactors that would have hit the Earth if the moon wasn’t there! The backside of the moon is even more cratered!! So the moon acts a shield for Earth, protecting us from lots and lots of space debris. Life on Earth would certainly be very different without the moon, and possibly might not even be here. So when I look up at the moon, I say thank you moon for looking out for us!!

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