What would happen to Earth if the moon disappeared?

To us Earthlings, the moon is the ultimate cosmic chameleon. It’s always changing! Some nights it’s waxing, some nights waning, one day it’s full, and just two weeks later, it looks like there’s no moon at all. This is called a new moon, when the face of the moon is entirely in shadow. During a new moon, the moon doesn’t really go away. It’s just too dark to see. But… what would actually happen if we looked up at the night sky, and the moon was gone? We asked astronomer Chris Impey to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s making you moonstruck? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you land on the answer!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.