Further every day: Moon is moving away from Earth and scientists are trying to unravel this mystery

The conditions of Earth they are linked to several points of natural forces, including the influence of radiation levels emitted by the Sun.

However, the Moon also plays a crucial role in the functioning of our planet. One of these examples is the force that the natural satellite’s gravity has on the tides. This influences the global movement of the planet and, consequently, the different regions of the oceans.

For a long time, humanity did not notice the fact that the Moon is gradually moving away from the Earth. This led to the construction of the concept of a month based on lunar cycles, since, with the naked eye, it is virtually impossible to notice any significant change.

But now, based on data collected by scientists, they have discovered that the orbits of the Moon and Earth have been slowly moving apart for millions of years, at an annual rate of about 3.8 centimeters. Understand better what is happening and whether there are consequences.

Image: Freepik/Reproduction

Is it possible for the Moon to move away from the Earth?

One of the most accepted theories is that the Moon originated due to a massive collision between the Earth and a celestial body known as Theia, which happened approximately 4.5 billion years ago.

After this collision, a significant amount of Earth’s material was thrown into space, undergoing a gravitational process that eventually gave rise to our bright Moon.

Now, studies show that the lunar gravitational force plays a central role in the annual distance of 3.8 centimeters.

This action causes bulges in the Earth, creating an imbalance that gradually slows our planet’s rotation. As a result, the planet it is losing energy and angular momentum, leading to the Moon’s slow drift away.

In simple terms, as the Earth’s rotation slows, the system’s angular momentum must be conserved, which means the natural satellite must move away from the planet.

Astrophysicist Madelyn Broome of the University of California, Santa Cruz, explains that it’s not just the rotation rate that affects angular momentum. The distance from the center of the system is also important.

In other words, the closer it is, the smaller the angular momentum; the further away, the greater the angular momentum. As the Earth’s rotation decreases, for angular momentum to be maintained, with the Moon moving away, the system’s angular momentum must increase.

It is important to highlight that humanity will probably not have any significant problems related to this distance from the Moon.

The natural satellite will never completely move away from Earth’s orbit, and the most realistic probability is that eventually the Sun it will turn into a red giant and swallow both the Moon and the Earth together.