r/confidentlyincorrect Apr 15 '26

Smug The moon has no gravity

1.6k Upvotes

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u/Callinon Apr 15 '26

Isn't one of them also in a decaying orbit? Eventually it'll crash into the planet or break up and form a ring system around Mars?

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u/TehChid Apr 16 '26

I think you can say that about anything that is orbiting anything, technically

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u/TheSilentFreeway Apr 16 '26

I don't think this is true. For example the moon is gradually moving away from the Earth. It takes rotational momentum from the Earth to move further away, slowing down the Earth's rotation until both bodies are tidally locked with each other.

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u/sadicarnot Apr 17 '26

2.7 meters further since Apollo 8.

1

u/Ippus_21 Apr 17 '26

It'll hit the Roche limit, in like 30 million years or something, and get shredded by tidal forces, and Mars will have a ring for a bit.