The Moon

[UnquietDad]

Anyone see that programme about the Moon on BBC2 (BBC4) last night? I had no idea that the Moon was receding at 3.8 cm a year. Before long, solar eclipses will no longer work. DD enjoyed it as she is really getting into all that space stuff.

[CreepyJess]

Why is it receding?? How?

[UnquietDad]

There is a guy in America who is still a paid member of staff of the Apollo project - they're not going there any more, but they're still watching - and it's his job to go to a mountain observatory, fire a laser beam at the moon and track the distance. And yes, believe it or not, he's found that the Moon is receding.

Details here

That astonishing celestial coincidence of the solar eclipse (the Moon appears exactly the right size to cover the Sun at the distance it is at) will be a thing of the past - don't worry, though, we've still got 620 million years left of them!

[CreepyJess]

Oh er.. phew

Off to read 'details' now...