The Moon is shrinking

[Stevicus]

Shrinking moon may be generating moonquakes

A new analysis suggests that the moon is actively shrinking and producing moonquakes along thousands of cliffs called thrust faults spread over the moon's surface. The faults are likely the result of the moon's interior cooling and shrinking, causing the surface crust to shrivel and crack like a raisin's skin.

The article also mentioned another Moon mission in the future:

NASA will send the first woman, and next man, to the Moon by 2024. These American astronauts will take a human landing system from the Gateway in lunar orbit, and land on the lunar South Pole. The agency will establish sustainable missions by 2028, then we'll take what we learn on the Moon, and go to Mars.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

I think they are being optimistic, with respect to lunar mission involving humans. Although I like the idea very much-- it will force innovation (it always does).

As for the shrinking moon? I heard about that on BBC last night, the scientist being interviewed compared it to an over-ripe apple-- the skin was beginning to wrinkle, because the inside was smaller. In the moon's case, due to cooling.

 

[exchemist]

I think they are being optimistic, with respect to lunar mission involving humans. Although I like the idea very much-- it will force innovation (it always does).

As for the shrinking moon? I heard about that on BBC last night, the scientist being interviewed compared it to an over-ripe apple-- the skin was beginning to wrinkle, because the inside was smaller. In the moon's case, due to cooling.

That brings back memories.....

When a I was a small boy I was captivated by a book called "The world We Live In" by Rachael Carson. In that book, the process of mountain-building on Earth was explained in exactly that way.
The book was written before the one great revolution in science there has been during my lifetime: plate tectonics. It seems extraordinary now to think of a time when plate tectonics was unknown.

The Moon obviously is a different kettle of fish. There is no evidence of tectonic processes there today - too small and it's all gone solid.

 

[BSM1]

I knew it!

 

[Woberts]

Did someone let a rat loose up there?

 

[Revoltingest]

Did someone let a rat loose up there?

 

[Salvador]

There's moon shrinkage when it gets cold in the dark. Almost everybody knows there's shrinkage from the cold.