Speculative Science Question
As I was driving home from work (wife needed the car today) I was asking myself a science question, and didn’t have an answer. So, I figured I would throw it out to you chuckleheads, and see who has the biggest Physics brain.
What would the change be here on Terra Firma if the moon were in geostationary orbit instead of revolving the way it does now? (Assume that it is located at the same distance, but always present over South America.)
Obviously we would have no tides. But other than that, what? Would we be even more oblate that we are? The poles would still be somewhat flattened obviously, but would the earth be more egg shaped owing to the gravitational pull being a constant? What effect on tectonic movement? And while you are at it, do you think it would have changed history at all? I can’t help but wonder if man wouldn’t have set out West from Europe earlier to see why the moon was located there?
These are the questions that plague me, and I’ve noted in the past that we have some “big brains on Brad” so, any answer would be appreciated.
Category: Politics
Would you guys start speaking English?!
Hondo,
He did indeed specify geostationary, and I think I mistakenly inferred the more common and general case of geosynchronous orbit with inclination. My error was assuming that most people confuse the two terms. Over the course of 4.2B years, I’m certain you are correct about the mutual locking effect; over that span of time, even a more inclined orbit may tend to normalize due to mutual interaction and perhaps even magnetoshpeic drag (this might be a bit of a reach).
Your second paragraph has my mind twitching, but I need to give it some more thought.
@51 – YY: NO! It’s this or Klingon.
@ 53 Ex-PH2, LOL! I grew up watching Star Trek so I have a working knowledge of Klimgon, What you guys are talking is…alien.:)
Yes, and we are proud of it, too. Any time something can make someone’s mind twitch, it means he/she is not yet brain dead. (see #52 above)