For now, the only natural satellite of Earth – the Moon is turning away from the planet at a variable speed of 3.8 centimetres per year. But soon the scenario is going to change, as scientists are expecting both celestial bodies to collide with each other someday, resulting in the complete destruction of earth. According to the new study, both Earth and Moon are on a very long-term course of the crash, and after some 65 billion years, both could bump into each other atmosphere, causing a calamitous lunar inspiral.
According to the scientists, if earth and moon have a collision, the catastrophic energy will materialise that will thaw out the Earth into an ocean of molten rocks. However, fortunately, the possibilities of the catastrophic event are not predicted to take place for 65 billion years at least.
According to Jason Barnes, a terrestrial scientist at the University of Idaho and the lead researcher of the project, “The catastrophic event will lead Earth towards its final stage. The last end-state of tidal evolution in the Earth-Moon system will be the inspiral of the Moon with Earth and its succeeding crash and accumulation onto Earth. The event, if happens, will turn the planet into a magma ocean.”
Adding to the statement, Barnes said, we are yet unsure if the system of Earth and Moon will continue to exist in the Red Giant Phase of Sun or not. Sun’s Red Giant Phase will start after nearly six billion years from now and in this phase, Sun will run out of nuclear energy, and its core will turn into a burned up residue white dwarf. During this period, the outer rim of sun will spread outward the orbit of Earth. However, scientists are yet unconvinced about the survival of earth-moon system up to the Sun’s Red Giant Phase.
The time-honored hypothesis about Earth-Moon System states, the formation of the moon was taken place some 4.5 billion years ago due to a coalescence of object turned out after the crash of a Mars-sized impactor with the earth Earth. Since then, the only natural satellite of Earth has been gradually backing off from Earth. According to the scientists, the motions of the Earth’s tides alongside the effects of moon’s gravitational waves are triggering this recession.
However, after some centuries, Earth will go through hostile and interglacial successions, resulting in the changes in the region of deep seas because of the rise and fall in sea levels. Over the longer geologic period, the tectonic plates of the earth will reorganise themselves, and this will cause alterations in the quantity of tidal debauchery and therefore the speed of the Moon’s recession.
In the changed phase, the speed of moon will accelerate, and it will turn back towards the course of earth, which eventually will cause the collision between two extraterrestrial bodies. The energy released from the colliding will alleviate the Earth into a magma marine, warned Dr Jason Barnes.