The Enigma of the Moon: Unveiling the Celestial Mystery

The Moon is a mysterious celestial body with many enigmas that puzzle scientists. For instance, the far side of the Moon is densely covered with craters, while the near side is smooth and flat. Additionally, craters of all sizes and depths appear similar, the Moon seems to be hollow, and it resembles an artificial object more than a natural one.

The Controversy of the Moon's Origin

Scientists have not reached a definitive conclusion regarding the Moon's origin; it remains a topic of scientific hypothesis. The origin of the Moon has been a hot topic among scientists for over a century, and it continues to be an unsolved mystery.

In 1969, when the United States conducted the Apollo lunar program, many scientists believed that this human endeavor might finally resolve the debate surrounding the Moon's origin. However, the Apollo program unexpectedly resulted in more questions than answers.

Currently, there are three main hypotheses regarding the Moon's origin: one suggests that the Moon was captured, another proposes that the Earth and Moon share a common origin, and the third posits that the Moon was formed from a split of the Earth. Yet, none of these hypotheses have compelling evidence to support them.

The Capture Theory

The capture theory suggests that Earth's gravity captured the Moon as it traveled through space, changing it from a planet into Earth's satellite. During the universe's formation, a small clump of cosmic dust eventually coalesced into the Moon. Its exact origin remains unknown; it could have originated within the solar system, the Milky Way, or a distant part of the universe.

Once formed, the Moon was a free-floating celestial body, moving through countless galaxies in the vast universe. One year, the Moon entered the solar system and encountered trouble when an unknown force altered its path. This force came from a blue planet, making the Moon an indispensable part of human life.

This hypothesis is romantic and seems plausible at first glance. Unfortunately, astronomers have not yet observed a similar capture process in space. Therefore, while this hypothesis is appealing, it does not convince serious scientists. From the perspective of celestial mechanics, it has many significant weaknesses and does not hold up statistically. Many astrophysicists believe the likelihood of Earth capturing the Moon as its satellite is extremely low, if not impossible.

Is it possible for Earth to capture the Moon? It seems unlikely. The Moon's diameter is 25% that of Earth, with a measurement of 3,476 kilometers. Given Earth's mass and gravitational pull, capturing such a large Moon from 384,400 kilometers away is virtually impossible. Other planets and their satellites illustrate this, such as Jupiter's Ganymede, the largest satellite in the solar system, with a diameter only 1/7 that of Jupiter. The Moon is too large. Considering its speed as it traveled between the Sun and Earth, it is evident that Earth would struggle to capture such a large satellite.

Although the Moon orbits Earth, it is surprisingly far away. At its current position, Earth's gravitational influence on the Moon is weaker than the Sun's. From a gravitational perspective, the likelihood of the Moon being captured by the Sun is greater than by Earth.

The Jupiter Barrier in the Solar System

Another factor to consider is Jupiter, a massive planet in the solar system with a diameter of 143,200 kilometers, about 11.23 times that of Earth. Although its density is lower, its volume is 1,415 times greater, and its mass is 318 times that of Earth. Jupiter's strong gravitational pull acts as a natural barrier for Earth, attracting celestial bodies from outside the solar system and protecting Earth from giant asteroid impacts. Researchers at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C., conducted computer simulations suggesting that without Jupiter's barrier, the likelihood of Earth being struck by external forces would increase by 1,000 times, approximately once every 100,000 years. Earth would not have supported human life in such conditions. The comet impact on Jupiter in 1993 supports this perspective.

"SL9" is a comet with a diameter of about 10 kilometers and a mass of 500 billion tons. Scientists speculate that this comet, which entered the solar system over a decade ago, was unceremoniously captured by Jupiter and became one of its satellites. In 1992, when "SL9" neared Jupiter, it was torn into 21 fragments by Jupiter's immense gravitational force. The largest fragments had a diameter of 4,000 meters, with an average diameter of 2,000 meters, traveling up to 160,000 kilometers per hour.

On July 17, 1994, at 4:15 AM, the first fragment of "SL9" collided with Jupiter at 210,000 kilometers per hour. A mushroom cloud rose over Jupiter at over 1,000 kilometers, and a fireball nearly 2,000 kilometers large rolled above. Ten minutes later, a dark spot over 10,000 kilometers in diameter formed on Jupiter's surface. Over the next six days, other fragments, stretching over 5 million kilometers, impacted Jupiter. Powerful charged particles were ejected into space, creating a strong radio signal detectable across 700 million kilometers, even by amateur radio enthusiasts.

Experts estimate that during the impact, each fragment released energy equivalent to 1 billion tons of TNT, similar to 100,000 atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima, and 10,000 times more powerful than the largest hydrogen bomb. Fragments larger than 2,000 meters released energy equivalent to 300 to 500 million Hiroshima bombs. Without Jupiter, "SL9" might have entered Earth's gravitational field.

Thus, if the Moon is a celestial body that accidentally entered the solar system, it is more likely that it would have been captured by Jupiter, located 700 million kilometers away from Earth, rather than by Earth itself.

Astronomical Coincidence

From Earth, the Moon seems to be about the same size as the Sun, but the reality is vastly different. This illusion is due to a peculiar distance arrangement: the Moon's diameter is 3,476 kilometers, while the Sun's is 1,392,000 kilometers, meaning the Sun's diameter is 400 times that of the Moon. The distance from Earth to the Sun is 149.6 million kilometers, while the distance from Earth to the Moon is only 384,400 kilometers. Remarkably, the distance to the Moon is exactly 1/400 of the distance to the Sun, which is why the Moon and Sun appear similar in size from Earth. This perfect alignment allows for total solar eclipses, as the Moon is just the right size to overlap with the Sun.

Astronomers call this peculiar phenomenon an "astronomical coincidence," as it cannot be explained by astronomical principles. If the Moon were "captured" by Earth, then this miraculous arrangement of distances would indeed be astonishing, as some scientists have noted, "even if it were a coincidence, it would be too bizarre."

Astronomer Roche derived a law of celestial mechanics known as the "Roche limit." It states that a satellite orbits a planet due to the planet's strong gravitational attraction. The closer the satellite is to the planet, the greater the gravitational pull. If it comes too close, exceeding this limit, the satellite will be torn apart by the planet's gravity, similar to the "SL9" comet. Conversely, if it exceeds this limit, the satellite will escape the planet's gravitational pull. The "Roche limit" is the safe distance at which a satellite is attracted by a planet's gravity without being "torn apart." Strangely, if the capture theory is correct, considering the Moon's initial speed and impact inertia, its original trajectory should have been much lower than now, long exceeding the "Roche limit."

Experts who use electronic computers to control spacecraft's flight attitude and speed generally believe that for the Moon to approach Earth without colliding with it and maintain orbit around Earth is nearly impossible. This implies that unless the Moon had a similar electronic control system, it would be unfeasible. Scientist Walter S. Adams stated, "Celestial mechanics can calculate the motion of celestial bodies under gravitational interactions, but it cannot explain how the Moon came from afar, was captured by Earth's gravity, and entered Earth's orbit..."

The Moon's Nearly Circular Orbit

Currently, the Moon's orbit around Earth is almost circular. Celestial bodies in interstellar space move at astonishing speeds, with typical bodies reaching speeds of tens or even hundreds of kilometers per second. For instance, the "SL9" comet's speed was 44 kilometers per second, while the Sun's current speed is 30 kilometers per second. If the Moon were captured, the space for Earth to capture such a large satellite would be extremely narrow, requiring precise entry at the right speed and angle. If the angle is too shallow, it will escape gravitational range; if too steep, it will collide with Earth, causing destruction. This maneuver requires significant precision, similar to the Apollo spacecraft's spaceflight, where the rocket engines must adjust speed and flight attitude approaching the Moon, accomplished with high-precision electronic computers.

Even if the Moon accidentally entered this orbit, according to gravity laws, it should be moving along an elongated or elliptical orbit, not the nearly circular one it currently follows.

Traditional scientific theories suggest the Moon, as Earth's satellite, was much farther from Earth in ancient times. According to physics, all satellites gradually spiral closer to the planets they orbit due to gravitational pull. The smaller the satellite, the faster it approaches. However, modern astronomical research has found that the Moon is not moving closer to Earth but is actually drifting away. This has been happening for over 3,000 years, as historical solar eclipse records show. The Moon's annual distance increase is minimal but real, contradicting traditional physical laws.

The Moon's Existence Puzzles Scientists

The question of how the Moon came to be and entered its current orbit continues to perplex scientists. Its existence is filled with so many coincidences and peculiarities that many believe it is nearly impossible to explain the Moon's existence naturally.

Renowned American scientist William Roy Shelton wrote in his book "Conquering the Moon": "To maintain the Moon in its current orbit, some factor must compel it because the 'Apollo' spacecraft orbits Earth at 150 kilometers, completing a rotation in 90 minutes, and it (the Moon) must travel at 29,000 kilometers per hour. At the same time, this factor must ensure the Moon flies at a certain height and speed. As long as it maintains a specific direction and speed, it will not deviate from Earth's orbit. One can understand this by looking at how humans placed the first artificial satellite into orbit. However, while artificial satellites require a certain speed, height, and direction, they do not necessarily need a delicate balance of gravitational and centrifugal forces to remain in orbit."

Shelton also noted: "In the past, when discussing the Moon's origin, scientists have exerted considerable effort, yet the questions remain. They find it incomprehensible that the Moon has chosen such a precise orbit. There must be some factor that allows it to operate at its current height and speed."

What is this "factor" that Shelton repeatedly mentions? Unless some intelligent method placed the Moon into its current orbit, questions remain unanswered. In this context, Soviet scientists proposed the "Moon as a spaceship" hypothesis, unifying the Moon's many coincidences and peculiarities under this theory, which serves as evidence for the hypothesis.

(To be continued)