Difference between revisions of "Moon"
(The Moon has not always been and will not always be the same angular size as the Earth.) |
(implying a lengthy geological history is unnecessary and doubtful) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
The Moon orbits the Earth. Unlike most planets, Earth has only one moon and it has several striking characteristics that only be described as artistic in design: | The Moon orbits the Earth. Unlike most planets, Earth has only one moon and it has several striking characteristics that only be described as artistic in design: | ||
| − | 1. | + | 1. Throughout man's existence, the Moon has had the same size as the Sun when viewed from Earth. This creates a beautiful symmetry and permits phenomenal eclipses to occur. The odds of that symmetry occurring by chance are too small to be considered possible. That symmetry will not last forever. |
| − | 2. The Moon presents the same side to Earth at all times, even though the Moon revolves around the Earth. That requires the rotation of the Moon to be timed precisely to offset the separate effects of the revolution around Earth. This | + | 2. The Moon presents the same side to Earth at all times, even though the Moon revolves around the Earth. That requires the rotation of the Moon to be timed precisely to offset the separate effects of the revolution around Earth. This has an awesome artistic or design effect without any plausible physical reason. |
| + | |||
| + | Skeptics sought to explain this remarkable phenomenon by saying that tidal forces on Earth caused a bulge on the Moon, thereby locking in the rotation of the Moon so that its same face always presents to the Earth. They asserted that the planet Mercury has a similar locked rotation due to gravitation forces from the sun, such that the same side of Mercury always faces the sun. | ||
| + | |||
| + | But this explanation was ultimately proven wrong.<ref>http://physics.fortlewis.edu/Astronomy/astronomy%20today/CHAISSON/AT308/HTML/AT30803.HTM</ref> | ||
| + | Mercury does not always present the same face to the sun as claimed, and instead switches the side that it presents to the sun every full rotation. As to the Moon, the tidal forces on the Earth cannot account fully for its bulge or egg shape. The cause of the bulge on the Moon to lock in its rotation remains a mystery to those who reject design. | ||
3. The Moon's surface lacks the abundant iron that permeates the Earth, thereby proving that the Moon did not come from the Earth. This deficiency of iron on the Moon disproved the primary theory that the Moon must have originated by breaking off from the Earth. There is no plausible non-creation theory of origin for the Moon at this time. | 3. The Moon's surface lacks the abundant iron that permeates the Earth, thereby proving that the Moon did not come from the Earth. This deficiency of iron on the Moon disproved the primary theory that the Moon must have originated by breaking off from the Earth. There is no plausible non-creation theory of origin for the Moon at this time. | ||
4. The Moon is receding from the Earth, which suggests a young age for both. | 4. The Moon is receding from the Earth, which suggests a young age for both. | ||
| + | |||
| + | 5. Our solar system is one of the few that has only one sun. Only one sun and only one moon: this uniqueness may reflect the existence of only one God. | ||
Revision as of 17:49, December 27, 2006
The Moon orbits the Earth. Unlike most planets, Earth has only one moon and it has several striking characteristics that only be described as artistic in design:
1. Throughout man's existence, the Moon has had the same size as the Sun when viewed from Earth. This creates a beautiful symmetry and permits phenomenal eclipses to occur. The odds of that symmetry occurring by chance are too small to be considered possible. That symmetry will not last forever.
2. The Moon presents the same side to Earth at all times, even though the Moon revolves around the Earth. That requires the rotation of the Moon to be timed precisely to offset the separate effects of the revolution around Earth. This has an awesome artistic or design effect without any plausible physical reason.
Skeptics sought to explain this remarkable phenomenon by saying that tidal forces on Earth caused a bulge on the Moon, thereby locking in the rotation of the Moon so that its same face always presents to the Earth. They asserted that the planet Mercury has a similar locked rotation due to gravitation forces from the sun, such that the same side of Mercury always faces the sun.
But this explanation was ultimately proven wrong.[1] Mercury does not always present the same face to the sun as claimed, and instead switches the side that it presents to the sun every full rotation. As to the Moon, the tidal forces on the Earth cannot account fully for its bulge or egg shape. The cause of the bulge on the Moon to lock in its rotation remains a mystery to those who reject design.
3. The Moon's surface lacks the abundant iron that permeates the Earth, thereby proving that the Moon did not come from the Earth. This deficiency of iron on the Moon disproved the primary theory that the Moon must have originated by breaking off from the Earth. There is no plausible non-creation theory of origin for the Moon at this time.
4. The Moon is receding from the Earth, which suggests a young age for both.
5. Our solar system is one of the few that has only one sun. Only one sun and only one moon: this uniqueness may reflect the existence of only one God.