# What if the moon split in two?



## MJRevell (Feb 5, 2009)

I'm brainstorming a few ideas for a short sci fi story on evolution, and have had the simple idea of linking unusual evolution of humans and animals to a natural phenomenon: the moon splitting in two, and in effect there being two moons.

I just thought I would pose the question here to get some outside input on the idea: what do you think would happen if the moon were to split in two?


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## Vladd67 (Feb 5, 2009)

Tidal waves and weather disruption at least.


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## Dave (Feb 5, 2009)

Possibly some increased plate tectonics too, resulting in earthquakes and volcanic activity. Between that, the tidal waves and the weird weather, I wouldn't like to still be here.


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## kythe (Feb 5, 2009)

Just for asking, what kind of circumstances do you see that would cause the moon to split?  I think I would find it more believable that the earth somehow picked up a second moon, say a passing asteroid that was caught up in the gravitational field.

I would recommend reading "What if the Moon Didn't exist?" by Neil F. Comins.  In each chapter, he asks and ponders answers to various alternative scenarios of earth's existence.  Unfortunately it has been a long time since I have read this book, but I believe "What if the Earth had two moons?" was one of the chapters.  

I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but it may be a good read if you are interested in speculation on that kind of science.  Now I've about talked myself into picking up another copy.


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## Dave (Feb 5, 2009)

Just to add, it would be nothing like _'Space 1999'_


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## Vladd67 (Feb 5, 2009)

Although in one episode they did find an 'Earth' that was devestated by the loss of the moon.


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## Moonbat (Feb 5, 2009)

Not that I can give you any specifics, but if the moon split into two equal sized sections not much would happen until they drifted apart, then the gravitational force that affects our tides would become more complex and (depending on the orbitsof the moons) could be cancelled out or mulitplied giving us larger tides or more stangnant seas. 

Also is could invalidate NASA's claims to be the first to land on the moon, which one did they land on? what if the split was so close to where they landed that they had actually been on both! They'd have to go back and put another flag on whichever one didn't keep the flag!


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## Ice fyre (Feb 5, 2009)

Or if you believe the conspiracy theorists, the studio in the desert where they filmed the moon landings!


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## Porridge Beast (Feb 5, 2009)

Oooo... Good idea-I'll have to try to split it in half later-WORLD DOMINATION!

As far as it goes, due to Earths gravity, isn't it possible that one half would crash into the Earth? ROCK ON THE WORLD WILL BE MINE!!!


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## HareBrain (Feb 7, 2009)

The soft centre would slowly fall to earth and cover the equatorial regions in sweet-tasting gloop. There would be an end to world hunger, and a recruitment drive for dentists.


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## Dave (Feb 7, 2009)

Rather I would expect we would be over-run with mice! And I've no idea what green cheese smells like, but if it's anything like blue cheese gas masks would be required.


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## Hilarious Joke (Feb 7, 2009)

Um, I'm a little edgy about any more large bits of rock being near Earth, having just watched this:

Bored.com - Watching Video: Impact Simulation

...be afraid.


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## Vladd67 (Feb 7, 2009)

We're Doomed Doomed I tell ya!!


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## Grimward (Feb 8, 2009)

For an entertaining book on this subject, read _*Moonfall*_, by Jack McDevitt.  Doesn't touch on the intermediate or long-term effects, and the proportions of the moon that remain don't quite equate to the thread's title here, but is enough to get ya thinkin'.....


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## dustinzgirl (Feb 8, 2009)

MJRevell said:


> I'm brainstorming a few ideas for a short sci fi story on evolution, and have had the simple idea of linking unusual evolution of humans and animals to a natural phenomenon: the moon splitting in two, and in effect there being two moons.
> 
> I just thought I would pose the question here to get some outside input on the idea: what do you think would happen if the moon were to split in two?



There's an outerlimits episode on that very same thing. Or Twilight Zone. I can never remember between the two. 

Also, did you know you can email the guys at NASA and they will respond in a few weeks? My kids did that. 

Splitting of the moon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But, I'm pretty sure that without the whole moon, you are looking at some pretty drastic tidal waves and then if the moon did split, it would probably fall on the earth, which would be fitting since some people think that the moon is actually a big chunk of the earth seperated a very, very, VERY long time ago....it would probably really suck for the inhabitants of the earth.


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## Precision Grace (Feb 8, 2009)

why would the Moon split in two? I mean, what would cause this? Whatever it was, the Moon is sufficiently close to the Earth that the gravitation would get involved and the Earth would undoubtedly be affected in some way. However, the consequences would sort of depend on where the Moon happens to be in the orbit at the time of splittage. 
Furthermore, if you are writing a fantasy, by my reckoning, you could do pretty much anything you fancied to the splitted Moon without due regard for the laws of physics.


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## Ursa major (Feb 8, 2009)

The Moon is comparatively close to the Earth. Anything of the magnitude required to split a body that has a mass of 73,477,000,000,000,000,000 tonnes (derived from Wiki), and move the parts far enough away from each other that they became two independent moons, would almost certainly do more than affect the tides down here.


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## chrispenycate (Feb 8, 2009)

If you simply sawed the moon in half, and didn't give it any reason to separate, absolutely nothing. There's a force tending to hold the moon together a lot stronger than any tidal forces, or anything likely to be just hanging around. The same force as holds moon rocks on the surface – its own gravitational field.

And if the two moons were in similar orbits (unless they managed perfect  sixty degree trojanism) in fairly short order they'd collide, and momentum would equalise out and we'd be back where we started from (oh yes, a couple of megatons might make it to Earth, with a bit of major destruction of civilisation and everything, but we're investigating the differences made to the planet, not lifeforms)

So, we need to split the moon apart and apply enough delta V to one half to put it into a drastically different orbit. If this orbit is further out than the moon's present orbit, we get a reduction in tides, with an increase in variability if spring and neap tides.

More likely is to make a much more elliptical orbit diving down close to the atmosphere (and hope it doesn't actually skim it, because that would eventually result in the orbit decaying, and widespread extinction of species, probably including Homo sapiens) and going well outside the present path; ultimately the two bits will collide, but you can hope for a few hundred thousand years, which should be enough for a story.

Now we're going to get real variation in tides, with the long period moon's effect varying by a factor of ten? A hundred? And hetrodyning with the shorter period. Probably effecting magma currents, too (although I doubt it'd do much to tectonic activity in the time available) Coastal regions uninhabitable, volcanoes firecrackering off round the pacific ring of fire, earthquakes cyclically, synchronised with the beat frequency; not a good time to live in California.

Of course, if it's done deliberately (with some technology even I have difficulty imagining, you could get the Earth and its two satellites into an equilateral triangle, at their present distance, and get a totally stable system; but the precision and energy required would be impressive. Then almost nothing would change, except a minor reduction in tides and complicated rhythms for werewolves.


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## bluerayarchangel (Mar 17, 2009)

*How about this then the moon is split into two by earths 'second moon' Earth's second one is called Cruithne. *

*It was discovered in 1986 and it takes a convoluted horseshoe path around our planet as it is tossed about by the Earth's and the Moon's gravity.*

*So then maybe for some reason it could go off course and crash into the moon causing it to split. *

*then we are doomed !!!!!!!!!        *


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## TheEndIsNigh (Mar 17, 2009)

Such trivial disasters have no concern for me I'm afraid.

Still, it does gives us something to take our minds of things in the short time we all have left


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## ManTimeForgot (Mar 22, 2009)

The moon's existence stabilizes the earth's tilt.  A moonless earth is in deep-doodoo.  An earth which has two moons that are no longer drifting away from her is in better shape than currently where her partner is slowly drifting away.  An earth which has one moon shot off into space and the other imminently colliding with her is one in which humanity better hope to get into space and become self-sufficient for a few decades at least.

MTF


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