Why is the moon in the wrong place?

According to scientific measurement the moon is moving away from earth at the rate of 1.5 inches per year. If that is true and that the moon is 4.5 billion years old then the moon should be about 3 million miles from earth. At present it is about 238 thousand miles from earth. Is that what they call 'the margin of error'?

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

redredred · M

Its very unlikely the moon is as old as the earth. Current theories suggest that the earth suffered one or more collisions and the matter ejected by this coalesced to form the moon.

Since the moon formed after the earth, using the 4.5 billion year figure is likely wrong. Also, you assume a constant rate of separation at 1.5" per year, I havent seen anything to support this assumption.

There may be other flaws in your reasoning I haven't considered.

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@redredred I used the numbers given. There is great debate as to whether the moon formed at the same time as the earth or not as well has how it achieved its present orbit. However using the numbers often thrown out to confuse the gullible.....

redredred · M

The earth is 4.5 billion years old. The moons regolith is comprised of the same material as the earths crust so formation from collision caused ejecta is a pretty compelling explanation. Such collisions also explain why heavy materials like gold, lead and silver can be found near the surface when logic suggests they should be much deeper. A collision of that magnitude would stir things up considerably.

The age of the moon is less apparent and, again, there is nothing to suggest a steady rate of recession. @hippyjoe1955

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@redredred So celestial bodies just do random moves for no reason? The moon is
a pretty big object just to jump from one place to anther then stop. BTW your collision theory doesn't work either. The lunar rocks brought back by the Apollo missions show the moon is markedly different material.

LeopoldBloom · M

@hippyjoe1955 That's not what he said. You're being deliberately obtuse.

Yeah, it definitely makes more sense that an invisible sky daddy put the moon where it is 6000 years ago because he felt like it.