Poll: "Would you miss it?"

[FalloutJack]

I can't actually find the clip on Youtube, but I thought back to the second Austin Powers movie where the President of the United States there is suggesting launching nukes at Dr. Evil on the moon, saying (in reference to the moon) "Would you miss it?".

So, would nukes actually do any appreciable damage to the moon? Would Dr. Evil be vaporized? Would we still have a natural satellite? What questions am I forgetting about? (Aaand I'm spent.)

Tell me your theories, your jokes, and whatnot.

 

[Colour Scientist]

I don't think I'd miss it, I have pretty good aim.

 

[Queen Michael]

It's not as if the moon's mass would just disappear. I'm guessing there'd be a lot of debris hitting the Earth as a result.

 

[Fox12]

A nuke would kick up some dirt, but it wouldn't do much. I love the moon, though, so yes I'd miss it.

 

[BeerTent]

Of course I'd miss it!!

What will illuminate my moonlit walks a night where I look all sad and lonely?! It's the only way I can pick up chicks!

It's not very effective.

 

[sky14kemea]

I'd definitely miss it, my aim sucks.

Ugh, joke stolen by the first comment!

Why would you nuke the moon when it's made of cheese? That's a waste of good cheese. :C

 

[Barbas]

What monster would destroy our single greatest cheese reserve in one fell swoop?

 

[Tatsuki]

If the moon was destroyed the earth wouldn't be long after.
It has a huge effect on us.

And what would wolves howl at...

 

[Zontar]

One thing I'm wondering is COULD we blow up the moon? I mean it's not like peppering a few dozen nukes on its surface would destroy it. Might kick up a fuss on the surface but when the smoke clears it's still a giant ass rock with a surface area greater then the US. Does Earth have a collective stockpile that could actually destroy the moon?

 

[Story]

And what would wolves howl at...

And by extension how will I turn into a hideous man-beast with the moon gone?
...
On second thought, blow that shit up!

 

[Verlander]

This is a different scenario, but details some of the effects:

http://what-if.xkcd.com/129/

 

[Trippy Turtle]

Tides being screwed up aside, yes I'd miss it.
Its a topic of conversation if nothing else.

The moons gotten me out of a tight spot more than once.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

As someone who isn't really into movies/televsision, and only has a fleeting guess of who Austin Powers is (some brown haired dude with glasses and blue suit, I think? Who tries to be funny, but fails in that regard?) I think I would fail. Sorry, but only recently did I even watch the Star Wars films. I'm a complete yung n00b when it comes to movies and television and pop culture.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

One thing I'm wondering is COULD we blow up the moon? I mean it's not like peppering a few dozen nukes on its surface would destroy it. Might kick up a fuss on the surface but when the smoke clears it's still a giant ass rock with a surface area greater then the US. Does Earth have a collective stockpile that could actually destroy the moon?

I'm no scientist, so take my comments as just another opinion. But there's no way we could ever blow up the moon. The moon is about 10% of earth's mass, which makes it really fricken huge. Hydrogen bombs are extremely powerful, on a local scale. On a cosmic scale, every single nuclear bomb we have wouldn't equal the force of the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs. And since we know that the earth and the moon spent about the first billion years being pummeled by asteroids, my math says that we couldn't do more than make a new moon crater.

 

[Major_Tom]

I remember one movie where the Moon was destroyed (don't remember how, asteroid or something) and the Earth got a planetary ring made up of Moon's remains. I looked awesome.
While trying to find this picture...

...I also found this article:
http://www.spaceanswers.com/solar-system/what-would-happen-if-we-blew-up-the-moon/

 

[Rabbitboy]

I believe to moon takes care of the tides. So yes I think I would miss it.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Why would you nuke the moon when it's made of cheese? That's a waste of good cheese. :C

Grilled cheese, baby! Grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone!

 

[Kiardras]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_A119

America very nearly did it.

 

[JayRPG]

Piccolo blew up the moon and the earth was fine, and we all know how true to life Dragonball Z physics are.

If you did miss it though, Vegeta could just make a fake one

 

[zumbledum]

Right...

I can't actually find the clip on Youtube, but I thought back to the second Austin Powers movie where the President of the United States there is suggesting launching nukes at Dr. Evil on the moon, saying (in reference to the moon) "Would you miss it?".

So, would nukes actually do any appreciable damage to the moon? Would Dr. Evil be vaporized? Would we still have a natural satellite? What questions am I forgetting about? (Aaand I'm spent.)

Tell me your theories, your jokes, and whatnot.

low gravity and no atmosphere mean nukes behave very differently, no mushroom clouds etc. so a nuke might throw some rocks about, i guess because of its size and gravity a few bits might get launched into space but destroying it by just launching nukes at it wouldn't be practical. DR evil could certainly be killed by the detonations but he wouldn't be vaporized, it would be closer to shattering

also its debatable if its a natural moon its certainly unique in our solar system and probably a very rare occurrence beyond as it was formed by a massive collision (theia) rather than debris left over from the main planet formation and the moon is already saying a goodbye its moving about 4 cm away each year! so if its given the time it will eventually leave us.