Moon

[Steve_ref]

For those of you who remember the Space 1999 TV series, what would actually happen on earth if we 'lost' the moon?

[gen2]

All the super-powers would accuse each other of having stolen it until it escalates into mutally destructive global atomic war.

[Steve_ref]

OK. Can I have a serious answer now?

[gen2]

You don't specify under what circumstances the moon gets 'lost'. it is highly likely that whatever caused the moon to be ripped away would also disturb the orbit of the earth around the sun with disasterous consequences for life on earth.

[gen2]

OK Steve_ref, YOU specify the circumstances under which the moon gets 'lost' and you can have a more serious answer. At the moment it is hardly a realistic or serious question. Under the circumstances, I believe my answer WAS a valid and serious response.

[Steve_ref]

OK. I'll re-phrase the question.

What would happen if the earth DIDN'T have a moon?

Would we still have tides? Would birds still be able to migrate?

[gen2]

If the earth had never had a moon then

a) There would still be tides caused by the sun's gravity, but nowhwere near a large as at present. and they would occur at the same time each day. The greater influence of the moon over our tides is evidenced by the fact that they follow the moon's orbit getting later by approximately 1 hr each day. The influence of the sun is currently seen causing the difference between 'spring tides' and 'neap tides'

b) Many life forms have evolved to be dependent upon lunar or tidal phases to trigger behaviour. Without a moon, they would have evolved to be triggered by some other environmental factor.

c) Some nocturnal organisms may not have evolved at all without the higher levels of illumination provided by the moon.

d) Human folklore would have evolved differently, nursery rhymes like 'The cow jumped over the moon' would not exist, no man-in-the-moon either, no cheese, no references to harvest moons, hunter's moons or blue moons. Newlyweds wouldn't go on honeymoons and if yobs dropped their trrousers to expose their rears, they'd be sunning.

e) There would have been no space-race to be the first to put a man on the moon

[Steve_ref]

Thanks for the answers.

'We're off on our Honeysun' doesn't really sound right does it?

Wonder if anyone will think of re-making Space 1999 (2999 probably) but set on Earth instead of the moon.