Earths distance from the Sun

[darnun]

Recently I stumbled upon a web site about space science, but even going into google I cannot find it again.
In this web site it said ,beleive it or not that earths distance is slowly
increasing from the sun, by a woping 15mm per year.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
Their theory is one of many but one main one is something to do with the
suns present angle and its gravitational pull.
Another theory was to do with the constant solar flares and solar wind
buffeting our poor little planet.:shrug:

[Baddad]

Hi Darnun, :)

A documentary on Foxtell last night, "The Universe". They discussed dark matter and dark energy.

Not much is known about it but they are using the concept to explain the acceleration of the distances of heavenly bodies. They are flying apart at greater rates as time advances.

They also claim that this dark energy will be responsible for galaxies to fly apart and the solar system will follow suit. Followed by disruption of the planets themselves and even down to atoms. Its like the opposite of gravity.

I have a copy of the program.

Cheers Marty

[AstralTraveller]

It sounds reasonable since I know that the moon is moving further from the Earth and that at some time in the future we will no longer have total solar eclipses.

In fact if you take the present rate of retreat and extrapolate backwards it can be shown that 65 million years ago the moon was only 5m from the surface of the Earth. That would explain the extinction of the dinosaurs - well the tall ones at least. :P

[Baddad]

Hi AstroT, :)

That was also on a Foxtell documentary. The moon's distance increasing.

In times gone by the tide heights were 100metres or more.:eyepop:

Cheers Marty

[Robh]

As the Sun burns nuclear fuel it radiates energy and loses mass. This results in slightly longer orbits for the planets over long periods of time.
Reference ...
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=563

Regards, Rob

[darnun]

Thankyou to Baddad and AstraTraveller for your replies and yes I have heard
about the moons distance increasing, many times before.
Thankyou to Robh also, after visiting the web site you mention and after
much reading, they do agree the earth distance is getting greater, but not enough to be concerned about or to freeze our planet over years to come.