• Question: Is it true that the moon moves away from the earth a few centimeters each year? Also do satellites...

    Asked by nicenadia to Alessandro, Angela, Claudia, Marina, Phil on 12 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: Claudia Krehl

      Claudia Krehl answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      Indeed the moon is moveing away from the Earth. This is due to the Earth’s spin and it’s effect on the tide, the moon gains energy (speed) by stealing Earth’s spin energy and uses it to gradually expand its orbit, moving away from the earth. But apparently there is no need to worry, as this won’t go on forever. As continents drift the effect of the tide changes and so the moon will stop moving away eventually. Have a read here: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_the_moon_moving_away_from_earth

    • Photo: Phillip Wilkinson

      Phillip Wilkinson answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      Yup! Just to add to what Claudia said, the Earth is also moving towards the sun. Only a few inches every few years though. Our orbit isn’t perfect, but decaying slightly so we are slowly spiraling into the sun. But don’t worry the sun will explode long before we fall into it! 😛

      The same thing is happening with satellites as well, they are slowly spiraling back into the Earth. So most will have rockets that can fire and slowly push them back into the correct orbit.

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