Does anyone know why its there? I know that the sun exist for many different reasons. Some are to:

Give us warmth,
Provide Light
Make Plants Grow
Keep the seasons in order

and many others.....

My question is,"Why is the moon there and how does it effect life on earth?

Anyone here know?

I don't think it has a reason to exist - it just exists.

It affects the tides...and reflects the light of the sun to give us some ooomph in the P.M's..

Also...someday it will be the headquarters of an evil empire sent to destory the nation of Uzbekistan. *flips page of comic book*....Wait, nope just go with the first two.

Originally posted by Dunkirk101
Does anyone know why its there? I know that the sun exist for many different reasons. Some are to:

Give us warmth,
Provide Light
Make Plants Grow
Keep the seasons in order

and many others.....

My question is,"Why is the moon there and how does it effect life on earth?

Anyone here know?

I don't think that the sun "has a reason" for being. However, it does provide us with the above list of things. It also provides the gravity that keeps our planet from floating off into space.

Without the sun, this planet could not sustain the life forms that it does.

I think the moon provides us with imagination and a destiny. Man is unique in that he always wants to run faster, learn more, explore further. The moon gives us something to wonder at, dream about, reach for.

Since most known facts are available to everyone usually I will come along with one of my unproven theorys to stimulate thought.

One of my theorys is that moons actually have a deciding factor on its planet other than the obvious.
It influences the pole angle,spin and or gravity of the mother planet. I understand from science that the magma spin within the earth controls gravity. The moon could be an attracting speed control. Notice that the earth relative to mass has one moon. Jupiter has larger mass and 28 moons, 4 of which are large mass moons.
Our universe seems to be a delicate balance of centrifical force and gravity with each componant playing a small but crucial roll.

I have no way of knowing the full effect of the moon on a planet other than logic and imagination, but I am glad that the United States did not carry out its 1950's plans of firing nuclear explosions on the moon for research. Could have had a negative effect.

One purpose it serves is spinning me into PMS madness each and every month..............

The moon serves the purpose of affecting the tides and contributing to the overall weather. That's for the planet. For the occupants, it serves in ways beyond the stimulation of human imagination. It also is there for our non-human fellow creatures.

It may also be the key to an answer. One moon circling. Hydrogen, right?

Originally posted by es347fan
It may also be the key to an answer. One moon circling. Hydrogen, right?
Wasn't that the plot to a Star Trek episode?

STNG episode, grasshopper.

I do know that when I was in law enforcement we could expect very busy nights on full moon.

Originally posted by es347fan
STNG episode, grasshopper.
Yes indeed, I remember it somewhat. Troi was having some odd dreams, as I recall...or was it Crusher?

It seems to me that the moon exists for it's own reasons, to fulfill it's own purposes. It inspires us to passion and poetry, and sometimes madness in the night; but floats above it all serene, silent and sterile. It is always there, sometimes waxing, sometimes waning, reflecting the light of the sun toward the earth or capriciously blocking it. It dares us to dream and observe, to unravel it's mysteries. It hangs almost out of reach, a promise of resources to goad us out of our infancy. It challenges us to reach the maturity of our species in traveling outside the nursery of the earth.

Troi. Crusher helped put her in extended REM to aid in contacting & eventually releasing both ships.

The Moon, like everything else, is in its spot and playing its roll for different reasons. The Sun does what it has to do, as do the stars, moon, Earth, the atmosphere, and water, etc etc.

Together, they are like a sports team. No one part can do it all on its own.

Originally posted by Dan Fussell
Since most known facts are available to everyone usually I will come along with one of my unproven theorys to stimulate thought.

One of my theorys is that moons actually have a deciding factor on its planet other than the obvious.
It influences the pole angle,spin and or gravity of the mother planet. I understand from science that the magma spin within the earth controls gravity. The moon could be an attracting speed control. Notice that the earth relative to mass has one moon. Jupiter has larger mass and 28 moons, 4 of which are large mass moons.
Our universe seems to be a delicate balance of centrifical force and gravity with each componant playing a small but crucial roll.

I have no way of knowing the full effect of the moon on a planet other than logic and imagination, but I am glad that the United States did not carry out its 1950's plans of firing nuclear explosions on the moon for research. Could have had a negative effect.

This is the answer I was looking for. If I remember correctly, the Discovery Channel ran a 2 hour doucmentary that very throughly explained this in great detail. I didnt think about it until after I posted this topic, but your answer definitely refreshed my memory...Thanks :)

Glad to help, sorry that I missed the special you mentioned-glad to hear my theories on this are shared by others.