Well, an asteroid the size and mass of the moon itself would probably just destroy it or nudge it out of its current orbit around the Earth and cause drastic changes to our tides. However, if an object of similar mass and velocity to the Moon were to hit it, the Moon’s orbit could well be altered, though it’s … That's crazy if there was an asteroid that big to nug the moon or destroy it. That would be very tragic if a rock that big hits the earth lets just hope that doesnt happen now. If it ends up getting hit by a very massive asteroid, the large explosion from the impact could destroy the Moon. Critical thinking challenge: Why is the question posed by the headline more sci-fi than hard science? So if an asteroid hit the moon with force, it will increase the speed of the moon, and it will probably send it towards earth, if the asteroid was big enough. Asteroid near miss: THIS is what would happen if an asteroid hit Earth AN APOCALYPTIC asteroid collision with Earth has long been the preserve of … So if a very big asteroid hit the moon and inevitably put it off course - we'd die. Probably the immediate effect … How to tell if you’re in love, according to science. Listen to some of the brightest names in science and technology talk about the ideas and breakthroughs shaping our world. The result wouldn’t be as pleasingly rounded as our current moon, but it would still exert a gravitational pull on the Earth so the tides wouldn’t suddenly cease and sunlight would still be reflected giving the night-time glow we are accustomed to. It says that there isn't even a known asteroid bigger than the moon. Which is not to say the story wouldn't make big bucks at the box office. Instantly access What Would Happen if a Large Asteroid Hit the Moon? Pay by Direct Debit and get two issues free*, Receive every issue delivered direct to your door with FREE UK delivery. TweenTribune: What Would Happen if a Large Asteroid Hit the Moon? What would happen if a small asteroid hit our moon? "If an asteroid hits the moon, it will just get another crater," says Gareth Wynn-Williams, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii. I suppose that it is probable for something like this to happen, but very unlikely. Could an asteroid impact push the Moon closer to us? PLUS a free mini-magazine for you to download and keep. I think that the headline more sci-fi than hard science, because it is most unlikely that a meteor is as big as the moon would even come close to hitting the moon. What size Moon structure could we see from Earth? The question here's asking the impossible. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. As a curious cat, I started wondering how one could pose a danger to the moon. Well, an asteroid the size and mass of the moon itself would probably just destroy it or nudge it out of its current orbit around the Earth and cause drastic changes to our tides. As you can see the moon, and tides are safe from oncoming asteroids as far as we know. The killer asteroid will be accompanied by its 500-foot-wide moon, which will be orbiting it. What would happen to the Moon really depends on the details: a retrograde impact slows the moon down and widens its orbit, a prograde impact speeds it up and tightens its orbit. Thanks! Would we be in deep trouble or not, depending on where it hit? Already have an account with us? It is more sci-fi because as they said in the article, an asteroid that big doesn't exist that close to our moon, and even if it did, the gravitational pull of the earth might redirect it so that it doesn't hit our moon. The question posed by the headline is more sci-fi than hard science. This apocalyptic event is likely to be so devastating that it will turn t… For an asteroid 10 km in diameter, it doesn't matter where it hits, ocean or dry land. The text states that no asteroids even close to the size of the moon exist nearby, so it is highly unlikely that any of this would ever happen. But honestly, all this talk is more sci-fi than hard science. An asteroid crashing into the Moon could explain what the monks saw in 1178. An asteroid big enough to break the moon up but not totally destroy it would most likely see the larger fragments of the moon coming back together. The Moon's surface is scattered with craters, but have any of these asteroids affected its orbit? Or it better just happen within a couple of billion years to come. If the Moon were to orbit closer to Earth we would experience much larger tides, along with longer and more frequent solar eclipses. The gif image at right shows a meteoroid hitting moon on May 2, 2006, an impact which created a … The question posed by the headline is more sci-fi than hard science. Now we have the details on the collision. The moon takes the tides and no moon would be horrid! The minimum speed an asteroid or any other object could hit the moon would be 2.4 km/sec But a more likely speed would be over 20 km/sec Even with the lower speed impact a lot of that asteroid would be blown off the moon at more than escape velocity Our daily newsletter arrives just in time for lunch, offering up the day's biggest science news, our latest features, amazing Q&As and insightful interviews. https://www.tweentribune.com/article/teen/what-would-happen-if-big-asteroid-hit-moon/. I wouldnt want to imagine a world with no moon because that could cause diseases and have weird and odd things happen to us. Let’s say the Moon was hit by a meteoroid, asteroid or comet and split in two, and let’s ignore the impacts from the debris here on Earth from the impact. THE moon is locked into a death spiral which will eventually cause it to smash into Planet Earth, an astronomer has warned. An asteroid that large striking the Moon would release a large amount of energy and it probably would eject some of the moon rock into space, however I would guess that the bits would be quite small, so if they happened to be going in the right direction to hit … The Moon has been hit by many very large asteroids, proved by the many visible craters that cover it (even more so on on far-side than near-side) and the fact that the Moon is still here after all that indicates that they haven't had much effect upon the it, … How far apart are the Sun, Moon and Earth during eclipses? Sure, even the relatively small space rock that hit Russia lasts February hurt some people by breaking windows. However, the stuff that hits the moon are really small and trivial so, the hits won't actually do anything that enormous unless if a huge asteroid hit the moon. On top of all this everyone knows that many asteroids have hit the moon before which is what causes all the craters. Whether you're talking solar eclipses -- partial, total or annular -- or lunar … Thousands of meteorites have impacted the moon over the last few billion years and without an atmosphere like we have here on Earth to break up and burn these hurtling objects, the rocks have left their mark. What if this football-field-sized space rock didn’t make that turn? Well, an asteroid the size and mass of the moon itself would probably just destroy it or nudge it out of its current orbit around the Earth and cause drastic changes to our tides. As far as we know, no asteroids even close to the size of the moon exist nearby, so it is highly unlikely that any of this would ever happen. plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids. If that were to happen, the moon wouldn't survive the impact. For more stories like this, check us out every day at smithsonian.com. The moon was struck by a meteor creating the an explosion visible with the naked eye A similar strike against a city on earth would create a crater … What if it kept moving towards us? Thousands of meteorites have impacted the moon over the last few billion years and without an atmosphere like we have here on Earth to break up and burn these hurtling objects, the rocks have left their mark. However, if an object of similar mass and velocity to the Moon were to hit it, the Moon’s orbit could well be altered, though it’s more likely the Moon would be destroyed by such an impact. Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts. Without the moon we would lose a great deal of motion and movement related to the moon and how the distance of the moon through it's cycle affects the maturation (for want of a better word) of the earth. The evidence from the text proves that a big asteroid will not hit the moon. Discover our latest special editions covering a range of fascinating topics from the latest scientific discoveries to the big ideas explained. Look out for your Lunchtime Genius newsletter in your inbox soon. If you missed the recent Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipse, you missed an extra special event, as for the first time, an asteroid was captured impacting the moon during an … With a 100 km asteroid, the crater would be much larger, and some of the debris might end up on Earth, but I think those would be smaller than e.g. That would drastically change the earths tides and could make our nights be extremely dark were you couldn't see anything. A meteoroid was seen hitting our natural satellite during the lunar eclipse. You can unsubscribe at any time. If the moon was knocked closer to earth wouldn't our gravity pull the moon towards earth causing a major impact and possibly ending life itself? What would happen if a big asteroid hit the moon? The text states that no asteroids even close to the size of the moon exist nearby, so it is highly unlikely that any of this would ever happen. If a 10 km asteroid would hit the moon, the impactor would be smashed into tiny pieces while creating a big crater on the moon. What would happen if we blew up the Moon? I think it is a relief to know no asteroid will be blowing our moon into smithereens anytime soon though the headline did startle me at first because what would life be like without the moon? It would make a great movie title! If an asteroid hit the moon the moon would blow up. The Moon is very big, and any small object hitting it would have very little effect on its motion around the Earth, because the Moon’s own momentum would overwhelm that of the impact. For more information about how to do this, and how Immediate Media Company Limited (publisher of Science Focus) holds your personal information, please see our privacy policy. Eclipses would be no more. The text also states that all this talk is more sci-fi than hard science. Two issues free when you subscribe to BBC Science Focus Magazine. If Spooky were to impact us or the Moon, the energy released would be measured not in kilotons like … Asteroid's impact during the blood moon was equal to a ton of TNT. Source URL: https://www.tweentribune.com/article/teen/what-would-happen-if-big-asteroid-hit-moon/. japreep514 An asteroid of just 30 metres could destroy a large city. The question posed by the headline more sci-fi than hard science. Remember that the depest point in the oceans is in the Mariana Trench, and is only 11 km deep! By clicking “sign up” you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Thousands of meteors that are small have hit the moon for billions of years and it hasn't came close to a big dent. Most asteroid collisions would result in large craters and little else; even the largest asteroid known, Ceres, wouldn’t budge the Moon. But honestly, all this talk is more sci-fi than hard science. As far as we know, no asteroids even close to the size of the moon exist nearby, so it is highly unlikely that any of this would ever happen. Think blockbuster movie and youve got an idea of how this story ends. by drastic changes to our tidal waves does that mean more hurricanes or tsunamis? You asked us, what would happen if a large asteroid hit the moon. And even if there was an asteroid that size, what would chances of it going near the moon? The evidence from the text proves that a meteorite that big wouldn't hit the moon. the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. So what would it take to leave behind more than just a crater? If there was one as big as the moon it would more likely hit earth than the moon. (1:01) Latest Videos. To get the Moon to collide with Earth , I'd expect you need an asteroid the size of the Moon, or lots of patience. The moon? If an asteroid / meteorite of about 10 km in diameter hit either a) land or b) ocean, on earth, what may happen? Most asteroid collisions would result in large craters and little else; even the largest asteroid known, Ceres, wouldn’t budge the Moon. But honestly, all this talk is more sci-fi than hard science. Would we suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs? Given the huge size of Didymos and its moon, ground-based … The collision would blast a plume of molten rock – heated by the … The text also states but honestly, all this talk is more sci-fi than hard science. An asteroid big enough to break the moon up but not totally destroy it would most likely see the larger fragments of the moon coming back together. if this were to occur, and the asteroid were big enough to knock the moon from its orbit there would be a load of consequences. Various objects hit the moon quite frequently, creating new craters on its surface. First off, if the asteroid hit the moon from the right angle it would send the moon and chunks of space stuffs (i.e. If a huge asteroid hit the moon, this would obviously result in a huge problem.