What would happen if the Moon was hit by a meteor?

What would happen if the Moon was hit by a meteor?

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. Most asteroid collisions would result in large craters and little else; even the largest asteroid known, Ceres, wouldn’t budge the Moon.

Why is the Moon not protected from comets crashing into it?

Unlike the Earth, the Moon has no atmosphere to protect itself from impacting bodies. It also has very little geologic activity (like volcanoes) or weathering (from wind or rain) so craters remain intact from billions of years. The Earth is also covered in water and vegetation which easily disguises impact craters.

What if moon fall on Earth?

With the Moon coming closer, Earth’s rotation would speed up. Our days would become shorter and shorter. Global temperatures would go down, nobody would worry about climate change anymore. Unless asteroids burned the Earth to a crisp.

How big are the meteors that hit the Moon?

It is estimated to be caused by an impactor 3 to 5 meters long. On March 19, 2013, an impact occurred on the Moon that was visible from Earth, when a boulder-sized 30 cm meteoroid slammed into the lunar surface at 90,000 km/h (25 km/s; 56,000 mph) creating a 20-meter crater.

Which is more likely to hit Earth an asteroid or a meteor?

An asteroid or meteor is more likely to hit Earth because Earth is a lot bigger than the Moon, giving a meteoroid more area to hit! But we can see many thousands of craters on the Moon and we only know of about 180 on Earth! Why is that?

Why does the Moon have almost no erosion?

The moon has almost no erosion because it has no atmosphere. That means it has no wind, it has no weather, and it certainly has no plants. Almost nothing can remove marks on its surface once they are made.

Do meteors make noise when they are being seen?

The noise it makes is related to the sonic boom caused by a faster-than-sound aircraft. But sometimes, meteors seem to make a sound at the same time that they are being seen. These meteors would be seen and heard simultaneously. Is this possible?

Why are there so few rocks as old as the Moon?

Because of tectonics, the surface of Earth is recycled many times throughout its long history. As a result, very few rocks on Earth are as old as the rocks on the moon. The moon has not had tectonics for billions of years. That’s a lot more time for craters to form and stay put.