And this time, it’s not because of Gru’s shrink ray.
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A work published in Nature Geoscience on Monday, states that the moon has gotten 150 ft. skinnier through the last few hundred million years. And this phenomenon has been causing Moonquakes on the surface of the moon.
You've heard of earthquakes. But what about moonquakes? Like a wrinkled grape drying out to a raisin, the Moon is shrinking as its interior cools causing wrinkles or faults to form on its brittle surface. When enough stress builds, it releases the quakes: https://t.co/H3ixgywT1p pic.twitter.com/OxNrVveAQk
— NASA (@NASA) May 13, 2019
Does this mean the moon is going to disappear?!
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Before we PANIC, here are a few things you need to know about the shrinking phenomenon:
1. It’s Not Going To Disappear
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First things first, no, the moon isn’t going to disappear. The moon may be actively shrinking, but its mass doesn’t change (Sounds a lot like my exercise routine). This means that its impact on earth would be very minimal and there will be no impact on the tidal waves on Earth, said co-author Schmerr. So, do not worry guys!
2. Moonquakes are a common phenomenon
Moonquakes do happen often. But this time, scientists discovered that it’s not because of the regular reasons, but it’s because of the collision between something called thrust faults, which is a little bit like cliffs on the surface of the moon. Here is what it looks like taken from NASA:
Imagine grapes shriveling as it dries up to make raisins, the moon is also shriveling but because of the cooling of it’s interior.
*Fun fact: There were a total of 28 moonquakes recorded from 1969 to 1977.
3. The Moon’s Crust Is Brittle
Because the moon’s crust is brittle, it causes cliff-like thrust faults as it shrinks and cools. The collision between the thrust faults causes strong quakes.
4. The Moon Will Continue To Shrink
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This phenomenon will not stop, hence, the moon will still continue to cool and shrink. This is only the beginning!
5. A New Moon Mission, Ready To Launch
Today, our founder shared our vision to go to space to benefit Earth. We must return to the Moon—this time to stay. We’re ready to support @NASA in getting there by 2024 with #bluemoon. pic.twitter.com/UqQyMa9Zcn
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) May 9, 2019
NASA is already planning for another moon mission called “Artemis” and its plans to return astronauts to the moon (and word is this time maybe to stay) has been brought forward to 2024, four years ahead from the original schedule!
Looks like there is still plenty to discover about our moon. Let’s just hope it stays where it is. Well, at least now we know that our face isn’t the only place with wrinkles.
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Would you stay in the moon, if you could? Let us know in the comments!
Header image credit: Unsplash
