Smashed Moon.. problems for us ?

[astromark]

I am just asking for a better and more factual view than mine.. I have, and have messed around with

a impactor program.. but it refers to Earth impactor's ..

I want to understand better what sort of impact energy might destroy the Moons integrity.

How big, how solid, and how fast ? and then I want for your thoughts on what happens to this debris field.

Does it re coless as the Moon.. does it become a ring of debris ?

What danger to life on Earth would such a event trigger ?

--- and I put this in here as 'Off topic babbling'.. simply because I am not seriously suggesting the likely hood..

Just asking opinion.. more valid than mine..?

[BigDon]

Obvously (to me) this would end all life on Earth from the debris that came flying in. The Chixilib impactor was 6 miles across and the entire atmoshphere of the Western Hemisphere was heated to 350F for several hours. Dozens of similar sized rocks raining down in a pattern like the break up of Shoemaker/Levy would just be too much. Not to mention bigger pieces and "dust".

I dimly recall somebody working this out in detail once and a significant percent of the Moon returns home, especially around the equator. We retained a significant amount of water but there isn't enough time left in our Sun to re-evolve complex life before the end. Large lava oceans would be visible for milenia.

May as well speculate on the fate of an armadillo on the track of an Indy race.

(Since you don't have armadillos where you live, as an anti-snake bite measure, armadillos jump about two feet up when startled. That also happens when they are confronted by on-coming cars. Puts them at about grill height.)

Bisquits and gravy in front of fat people have better odds of survival than life on Earth in this scenario, I'd say.

[Trebuchet]

In Larry Niven's The Magic Goes Away, a group of sorcerers realize that the Earth's finite supply of magical power is dwindling and look for an alternative source. They decide on the moon and waken a grumpy earth-god who agrees to bring it down for them. He then gives them a vision of how large the moon really is and what the consequences will be. The rest of the story is them figuring out how to prevent him from carrying out their wish.

[ToSeek]

The question doesn't seem at all off-topic to me, so I've moved it from Off-Topic BABBling to Astronomy.

[astromark]

Thanks for the relocation job.. Great. and to reply to the tone thus far..

I agree that it could be a life ending event, but would it need to be..

If a impactor passed Earth to collide with the Moon.. could MOST of that impact energy take the mater away enough

for a a lesser in falling debris field..? Could we dodge the mayhem ? Or would the gravity mass of Earth be our problem. ?

I can visualize a beautiful feather of debris spewing away from the impact site..

and over the months following a great deal of debris in falling to Earth..

A impact Winter.. A Ice age.. Or could we get lucky,. What do you think ?

[astromark]

... and now we move to 'questions and answers..' to continue this discussion..

Throws arms up and goes for coffee.... OTB - Astronomy - and Q/A... I feel like a lost rodent. Is that my tail ?

OH Please oh please would you try and keep the subjects in one place...

I am a confused mind even when I can find things...