Naked Science – Moon Mysteries

The moon is far more than just a beautiful object in the night sky. Ever since its creation 4.5 billion years ago the moon has been edging away from Earth into space.
Throughout its journey, it has influenced our planet in different ways. But one things clear, without it life would never have emerged on Earth. 4.5 billion years ago the moon forms when another planet slams into the early Earth.
The impact knocks our planet “off-balance” onto an axis of 23 degrees, which we still rotate around today. This is what gives us our seasons. Without it we would have no summers, springs, winters or falls. 4 billion years ago the solar system endures the most violent meteorite bombardment in its history, the Lunar Cataclysm.
The Earth, being 50 times bigger than the moon, exerts a massive gravitational pull on incoming space debris. Because the moon is still so close to Earth it too gets hit. 99% of all craters on the lunar surface visible today are a result of this bombardment.
Today the moon has the same gravitational pull as a mosquito landing on your head, yet some people still believe it can influence our planet in bizarre ways.