Could the moon be moving further away from the earth because the universe is expanding?

Question

Could the moon be moving further away from the earth because the universe is expanding?

Answer 1

no, it's transfer of angular momentum due to tidal braking.

there is no mystery, either. this is well understood.

Answer 2

The moon is moving 4 inches away from the Earth each year.

This may or may not have to do with the expansion.

Answer 3

No.  The Hubble expansion only affects things which are not gravitationally bound.  So atoms stay the same distance apart (electrically or chemically bound) and so do solar systems, and even galaxies.  I think you have to get to the scale of super clusters before the systems are not gravitationally bound together.  (super cluster expands away from super cluster)  

The orbit of the moon is NOT stable.  It is moving further away and after 50 billion years will face the same point on the earth all the time.  It is getting further away because of the tides.  Believe it or not, the tides give the Moon a little boost and slow down the Earth's day (spin) just a tiny weenie bit.  Thats why every New Years we take a couple of microseconds off the "atomic clock" (to keep midnight at the same time).

Answer 4

Yes the moon is moving farther away from the earth a few inches a year like Hamster said. However this is not due to the expansion of the universe. I remember reading in the September issue of Astronomy that things held together by gravity will not expand with the rest of the universe. This is why the galaxy is not being torn apart and we are actually being pulled along with other galaxies to a spot in the sky called the Great Attractor.

Answer 5

I actually watched a documentary about this subject.  Every year the moon actually moves further away from the earth, and eventually it will get so far that the magnetic pull will no longer be strong enough to hold it and it will shoot out into space, like a sling shot and no longer orbit the earth...but that's not for a very long time.  

Answer 6

odim is correct except I think the figure is 15 billion. It took 50 million years for the Moon to show one side towards the Earth. Either way it is moot since our Sun will reach red giant phase in 6 billion years.

The Moon is moving away from the Earth because it was formed when a Mars-sized planetoid crashed into the Earth about 4 billion years ago (Giant Impact Theory).

Answer 7

Great question. I think the Earth and the Moon are moving away from the center of the universe at the same rate. Hence the distance between Earth and Moon remains same.

Answer 8

if they r moving than earth and moon wil be moving away at same rate so u cant see much diference  got it sweetheart