I may be demonstrating my ignorance of physics here, but why would the earth's spin rate have any effect on the moon's orbit? I understand that tidal friction causes a slowing of the earth's rotation. But I don't see how the moon's orbit would change as a result, as long as the mass of both objects is constant.
Brent
--- Bill Payne <bpayne15@juno.com>
> wrote:
>On Thu, 04 Oct 2001 17:04:02 -0400 Dale K Stalnaker
><Dale.K.Stalnaker@grc.nasa.gov> writes:
>>
>> 1. The Moon's orbit shows evidence of a young earth. I couldn't see
>the
>> logic here.
>
>Due to tidal friction, the moon moves away from the earth about 3/4 of an
>inch each year, with the rate of outward drift decreasing each year as
>the earth-moon distance increases. Quoting from _In the Beginning_ by
>Walt Brown:
>
>"Moon Recession
>
>As tidal friction gradually slows the earth's spin, the laws of physics
>require the moon to recede from the earth. This recession has been
>observed since 1754. Even if the moon began orbiting near the earth's
>surface, the moon should have moved to its present distance in several
>billion years less time than the 4.6 billion-year age that evolutionists
>assume for the earth and moon. Consequently, the earth-moon system must
>be much younger than evolutionists assume." (p 28)
>
>Bill
_____________________________________________________________
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Oct 05 2001 - 13:45:02 EDT