# Could we blow up the moon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013 "2012-09-07T17:27:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/41 "2012-09-08T21:27:53Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > 🙂 > > Beat me to it! Always nice to meet a fellow enthusiast. /secrethandshake ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/42 "2012-09-08T23:35:16Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Yeah; I figured out it would take the kinetic energy of … Halley’s comet at 35,000 km/sec to approach that amount of energy. I think it would be worth the consequences just to see that happen. > [@bardos](#): > > Why in God’s name would this be a recurring topic, blowing up the moon? People have too much free time on their hands or what? Because it’s awesome. Roland Emmerich should get on it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/43 "2012-09-09T01:25:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Could we blow up the moon? _I could_, but I’ve outgrown that kind of thing, since the last time. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/44 "2012-09-09T02:11:33Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > A few years ago, I calculated the energy to dissect the moon (to give all the mass in the moon escape velocity - I took into account the fact that after the outer surface is taken away, the escape velocity decreases) and got 1.24 \* 10^29 joules - pretty close to your approximation. We’re both neglecting the non-gravitational binding energy of the moon’s material, but that’s going to be pretty small compared to the gravitational binding. Hmm. I wonder if that is a fixed ratio? Wouldn’t surprise me if there were a fixed numeric constant on the order of 60% that accounts for the decreasing gravity (for homogeneous, spherical, etc. objects). We’re also both neglecting that, aside from something like a slowly working mass driver, most scenarios would put a lot of thermal energy into the rock. Basalt has a specific heat of something like 840 J/kg-K; an event that increased the temperature to the melting point of basalt would be a non-trivial fraction of the total energy. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/45 "2012-09-09T14:32:46Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Hmm. I wonder if that is a fixed ratio? Wouldn’t surprise me if there were a fixed numeric constant on the order of 60% that accounts for the decreasing gravity (for homogeneous, spherical, etc. objects). Yes - for a spherical object with constant density (which is what I assumed…), the energy required to dissect is 3/5_G_M_M/R (G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the object and R is the radius), while your method (multiplying the mass times the initial escape velocity) amounts to G_M\*M/R. > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > We’re also both neglecting that, aside from something like a slowly working mass driver, most scenarios would put a lot of thermal energy into the rock. Basalt has a specific heat of something like 840 J/kg-K; an event that increased the temperature to the melting point of basalt would be a non-trivial fraction of the total energy. Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/46 "2012-09-09T14:40:37Z")
Also, it could only be done at night. ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/47 "2012-09-09T14:43:31Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Also, it could only be done at night. Wouldn’t happen for obvious reasons. Night is the only time open to travel to the sun. ---
**Author:** ![ohnodano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@ohnodano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ohnodano)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/48 "2012-09-09T20:29:07Z")
The energy needed to do so is FAR beyond anything anything we could put out. To answer your other question. Not having a moon would lead to some very bad things. The big two being the loss of tides and doing all kinds of crazy stuff to the speed and rotation of the earth. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/49 "2012-09-10T00:05:53Z")
Some years ago, maybe 30 years ago, a man named Smbat (Alexander) Abian proposed blowing up the moon in order to create a ring around the earth so that we could have 24 hour daylight. To call him a nutjob would be an understatement. I knew him personally. He is deceased so libel is not an issue. His daughter uselessly threatened me with a libel suit after I went into some detail on another site. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/50 "2012-09-10T16:54:27Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > But. . .I like the moon. :rolleyes: Why does there always have to be someone being negative? Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/51 "2012-09-10T17:09:55Z")
So blowing up the moon or sending it away are both(at this time) out of the question. What about sending it _towards_ the earth in a degenerative orbit? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/52 "2012-09-10T18:17:03Z")
I’m fairly sure the short answer is “Um, orbits don’t do that,” but what exactly did you have in mind? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/53 "2012-09-10T18:20:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So blowing up the moon or sending it away are both(at this time) out of the question. > What about sending it _towards_ the earth in a degenerative orbit? It’s more energy intensive to change a circular orbit into a crash than to change a circular orbit into an escape orbit, but a factor of roughly 2. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/54 "2012-09-10T18:27:29Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > I’m fairly sure the short answer is “Um, orbits don’t do that,” but what exactly did you have in mind? Perhaps slowing it down a bit. Would that drop it into a lower orbit? ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/55 "2012-09-10T18:32:40Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Perhaps slowing it down a bit. Would that drop it into a lower orbit? Yes, there’s a promising line! Perhaps instead of blowing it up, we could simply absorb it into the mantle of the Earth’s own crust. Voila greater land mass! How much slower would the Moon need to be to lose orbit and fall into the Earth? Could such a slowdown be achieved with our current global arsenal of nukes or what have you? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/56 "2012-09-10T19:01:30Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > How much slower would the Moon need to be to lose orbit and fall into the Earth? Could such a slowdown be achieved with our current global arsenal of nukes or what have you? The experts should be along soon to explain how useless nuclear weapons are for blowing up and changing the course of celestial objects. I’d think the simplest approach is to put a solar powered rail gun on the moon and starting shooting chunks of it off in the opposite direction of it’s path. My quick calculations show that I have no idea to fgure out what that would require, but it seems to me by the time you’ve shot half the moon away it should stop altogether. But if that stuff stays in the same orbit, you’re just making a giant clown car out of the thing as the pieces come around and slam back into the moon again. But don’t get fooled by the idea of the moon orbiting the earth. It’s orbit is around the sun. ETA: Hmm? What is the sun orbiting? The galactic core? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/57 "2012-09-10T19:05:21Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > How much slower would the Moon need to be to lose orbit and fall into the Earth? That’s just silly because of the expense. It’s much cheaper to speed Earth’s orbit so it hits the moon because the nukes and rockets are already here — unless the shadow government secretly put them there so it could make the moon land on Russia. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/58 "2012-09-10T19:14:12Z")
Man, if anything happens to the moon, the OP and his minions will be the first ones the cops wanna talk to. And come to think of it, I noticed the moon is much smaller than it was when this thread began!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/59 "2012-09-10T19:20:06Z")
Well, it sounds like a lot of you guys know what you’re talking about, but I have to ask… Suppose I did the naive thing and went to the moon, dug a super-deep mine shaft all the way down to its center, put the combined nuclear arsenal of every earth nation in there (plus the additional nukes we had built while spending a century or so developing our moon-mineshaft-digging technology), and set them all off at once. What would happen? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013/60 "2012-09-10T19:28:15Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Well, it sounds like a lot of you guys know what you’re talking about, but I have to ask… Suppose I did the naive thing and went to the moon, dug a super-deep mine shaft all the way down to its center, put the combined nuclear arsenal of every earth nation in there (plus the additional nukes we had built while spending a century or so developing our moon-mineshaft-digging technology), and set them all off at once. > > What would happen? I’m not an expert at all, I just want to see if my guess is right when someone else comes along and answers this: Hardly anything at all. We probably wouldn’t even notice anything happening on the surface. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-blow-up-the-moon/634013.md?page=4)