Scientists have discovered that the moon is getting 1½ inches (3.8 centimetres) farther away from the Earth each year. The distance was measured by scientists after bouncing laser beams off mirrors placed there by spacecraft and astronauts to travel to the moon and back.
The distance of the Moon changes over the course of a month as it revolves around the Earth. The moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle and changes by about 12,400 miles (20,000 km) while orbiting the Earth. This change results in some full moons getting a bit bigger than others, which are called supermoons, according to a report in The Conversation.
Why is the Moon getting farther away?
Basically, the moon is getting farther away because of tides as it comes from a difference in gravity with the Earth. Moon’s gravity force is about 4% stronger on the side of Earth when it faces toward it as compared to the opposite side of the Earth facing away, because with distance, gravity gets weaker.
This tidal force causes the oceans to rotate into two bulges that point toward and away from the Moon. This happens because the gravitational force that the Moon pulls on the Earth is not an average force, but it is the same everywhere.
The gravitational pull of the Moon is stronger on the side of Earth nearest to it, creating a water bulge facing the Moon. On the far side, where the pull is weaker, another bulge forms as water lags behind the rest of the planet.
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As Earth rotates, these bulges shift position but continue to align with the moon’s gravitational influence. In coastal cities such as New York and Los Angeles, this effect causes sea levels to rise and fall by roughly five feet.
However, the bulges don’t line up perfectly with the moon. Because Earth spins, they are dragged slightly ahead. These forward-shifted bulges then tug back on the moon, not only pulling it inward toward Earth but also nudging it forward in its orbit, much like a car gaining a push of speed while rounding a curve.
This forward pull from the closer tidal bulge results in the moon speeding up, causing the size of its orbit to increase. As a result, the bottom line of the gravity of the closer tidal bulge on the Earth pulls the moon forward, increasing the size of the moon’s orbit. This led the moon to get slightly farther away from the Earth; however, this effect is negligible, which is only detectable on average over years.
