G7-Our Necessary Moon 1100L – 04

Earth’s Wobble

Like a top, Earth has a slight wobble as it rotates on its axis. This wobble is called precession. Precession is caused by the tug of the Sun’s gravity. The Moon’s pull on Earth helps moderate this wobble and keeps its rotation more stable. In contrast, Mars has no moon. As a result, its center of rotation varies from 10 to 70 degrees. Thanks to our Moon, Earth’s axis, or center of rotation, moves back and forth only a small amount. The length of time this back and forth motion takes is around 26,000 years.

Earth’s axis is currently aligned with Polaris or the North Star. If this changed, it would mean Earth’s North Pole could drift substantially. Imagine if the North Pole were to drift towards New York, or even Florida! Forget about glacial advances; your location may be the new North Pole! Our current global warming concerns would pale in comparison. Nothing would match these extreme shifts in climate if there were no Moon.

There is a reason why toy tops are built like they are. Most of their mass is located around their center. Without this added inertia due to its mass, stability would not be possible. Our Moon provides this same type of stability using its gravity. Without the Moon providing stability, the extreme wobble that may occur could be a wild ride. For life on Earth, it may have a difficult time surviving.

Conclusion

The Sun is the centerpiece of our solar system. Its mass makes up over 99 percent of all the mass in the solar system. Because of its gravity due to its immense mass, it is able to keep all the planets’ orbits in check as they revolve around the Sun. The fusion reaction inside the Sun provides energy to our solar system. For life on Earth, it is a necessary component, supplying both light and heat, but is this all that is needed for life to develop?

Certainly, the Moon is more than just Earth’s nightlight. It provides Earth with necessary tides. These tides may have provided the needed boost for the development of life on Earth. The Moon has slowed the rotation of Earth, helping moderate our temperatures. The Moon also stabilizes Earth’s precession. This is critical to keep our climate on Earth stable.