• Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Why are people floored into faith by the scale of the Grand Canyon, when they can just look up at the sky, and see a gigantic rock that has been falling towards us for millions of years, and feel the heat from the nearby (in cosmic terms) star which is an accumulation of hydrogen so massive that it’s gravity alone has enough force to sustain a fusion reaction? But a trough in the ground caused by flowing water, that gotta be the work of god.

    Not to downplay the Grand Canyon. It sure does look amazing!

    • keyez@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I agree with rhe sentiment but small correction, the moon is falling away from earth.

      • reinei@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Well that might depend?

        Because as far as orbital mechanics are concerned it’s falling toward us (because that’s what orbiting usually involves) but because the orbit is slowly getting larger it’s falling is slowed, maybe? Well can’t really be that because the speed should be pretty constant?

        Huh, that’s kinda a hard thing to answer comprehensively for someone who didn’t take that astrophysics course everyone else took…

        • Lifter@discuss.tchncs.de
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          7 months ago

          Orbits are closer to spirals, earth and the moon are moving around the sun, with the moon spiraling around earth. It’s just a larger and larger spiral.

          Falling is a relative term. I’d just say it’s accelerating slightly towards us, creating a wonky spiral through space.

        • keyez@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Seems why you’re overcomplicating it a little bit. The moon used to be much closer to the earth thousands of years ago and now it’s not, slowly has been getting slingshotted out of orbit since the big bang.

          • douglasg14b@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            I think you’re under complicating it. For starters our solar system has not existed since the Big bang…

            The Moon is also not getting slingshot out of orbit. It will eventually attain a tidally locked orbit.

            • keyez@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              That’s bot exactly what I was referring to, I meant the creation of the earth so I was incorrect there referencing the big bang. Rest of the point stands though, shortly after the earth formed or was forming it was struck and the moon was created and slowly started falling away to it’s current position. Quick search shows it is locked in a dynamic orbit now. I did need some brushing up of the subject, cheers

    • Skanky@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I can’t remember who said it, but it’s a great thought…

      Looking at all the beauty of the Earth, the ocean, the forests, mountains and every living creature, then looking to the moon, the sun, all the planets, the stars, galaxies, with a seemingly endless amount of space and possibilities…

      With all this, why do religious people feel like that’s not enough? Is that not grand enough for you already? Why does there have to be something greater?