They do actually appear the same size in the sky though, which is why we get perfect eclipses. The Moon is slowly getting further away from Earth so it won’t be forever. We’re just in a lucky moment of time in the universe.
It really is just a coincidence.
A pretty rare coincidence. I’ve read that if there was a thing like interstellar tourism, the earth would be quite popular for the solar eclipses, as it’s very rare that the size of the moon (in perspective) covers the sun exactly.
I know you’re right, have read it elsewhere before. But I can’t figure out why that would happen. I doubt Earth is loosing mass. Does the moon slow down over time due to impacts or what causes this?
If it slowed down it would get closer, not further. The truth is, any orbit is only stable given a specific timeframe. The longer that timeframe, the less likely any given orbit is to remain. The moon has just a little bit more speed than the Earth can hold onto, so it is in an extremely slow escape, and always has been.
The moon has just a little bit more speed than the Earth can hold onto
Unfortunately that’s not how orbital mechanics works :(
If the moon had instantaneously more speed than the earth can hold onto (e.g. more centrifugal ‘force’ than balanced by the gravitational force), the moon will accelerate up, until the forces become balanced. This makes a elliptical orbit, like this:
Apparently the reason the moon is getting further away is that it’s gaining energy from earth’s tides
anyway you should play ksp
If it had a stable orbit before and then slowed down, I thought it’ll get a more elliptical orbit, being both closer and further, or fall into Earth.
My logic was that a stable orbit closer to the center needs higher speeds to counter higher gravity and vice versa.
So if the moon would get hit in a way that makes it slow down and get pushed further away from Earth at the same time, it could keep a roundish orbit, or not?
What’s with that specific timeframe? Is it due to the orbit never being perfect? Or random slight influences from other not too far, heavy objects?
Thanks for the explanation, the moon being a little fast for it’s orbit and therefore slowly spiraling out of Earths gravity makes sense to me now.
i could go for a car sized burger right now
Man, these people needs to put things in perspective
Could we get some more pixels?
The Book of Enoch is wild though. It reads like a first hand account from a bronze age tribal getting abducted by aliens.
I tried to read through the Wikipage, but it was just too dense for me so I asked an AI to summarize which I think it did pretty well:
The Book of Enoch, also known as 1 Enoch, is an ancient Jewish apocryphal text attributed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It is not considered canonical by most branches of Judaism or Christianity but is significant in the study of early Jewish thought and the development of Christian theology.
The book is divided into several sections:
- The Book of the Watchers: This section describes the fall of the Watchers, a group of angels who descended to Earth and took human wives, leading to the birth of the Nephilim, giants who caused chaos. Enoch is chosen to intercede on behalf of the Watchers, and he receives revelations about the coming judgment.
- The Book of Parables (or Similitudes): This part contains three parables that focus on themes of judgment, the coming of a messianic figure, and the fate of the wicked. It emphasizes the importance of righteousness and the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
- The Astronomical Book: This section provides detailed descriptions of the movements of heavenly bodies and the calendar, reflecting an interest in astronomy and timekeeping.
- The Book of Dream Visions: Enoch recounts two visions that symbolize the history of Israel, including the judgment of the wicked and the reward of the righteous.
- The Epistle of Enoch: This final section contains exhortations to righteousness, warnings about the coming judgment, and reflections on the fate of sinners.
Overall, the Book of Enoch explores themes of divine judgment, the nature of evil, and the hope for redemption, making it an important text for understanding early Jewish and Christian eschatology.
I tried to read through the Wikipage, but it was just too dense for me so I asked an AI to summarize which I think it did pretty well:
So you’re saying a bot did a good job of summarizing a thing that you didn’t read? Wat?
Apocryphal for most sects. Heretical for Rabbanic Judaism.
The most interesting thing about it I think is that it was thought lost for centuries, but there was a well-known translation in Ethiopian. When the greater Christian population heard about it, it was assumed to be a forgery, but it was still studied and translated.
It wasn’t verified as “authentic” until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1950s, where ancient Greek and Aramaic copies were discovered that match the Ethiopian translation, establishing the provenance of the Ethiopian version.
