What if the Moon's orbital speed around Earth were too low to stay in orbit? The Sun, Earth, and Moon start in a realistic heliocentric configuration, but the Moon begins just outside contact distance on Earth's sunlit side with sub-orbital velocity relative to Earth. Gravity pulls the Moon inward; it overlaps Earth's sphere long before being fully engulfed. A real in-spiralling Moon would raise catastrophic tides — ocean bulges of hundreds of metres — and eventually fragment into a ring before merging with Earth, releasing energy equivalent to billions of nuclear warheads. The scenario illustrates how orbital energy dissipation through tidal friction governs the fate of close satellite systems.

The Moon Falls into Earth

Loading scenario…