Future of Earth Sun. The drag from the solar atmosphere may cause the orbit of the Moon to decay. Once the orbit of the Moon closes to a distance of , it will cross the Earth's Roche limit. This means that tidal interaction with the Earth would break apart the Moon, turning it into a ring system. Most of the orbiting ring will then begin to decay, and the debris will impact the Earth. Hence, even if the Earth is not swallowed up by the Sun, the planet may be left moonless. The ablation and vaporization caused by its fall on a decaying
Chinese sun and moon mirrors "fangzhu" mirrors "jiàn" 見 "seeing" the sun and moon. The Way of Heaven is called the Round; the Way of Earth is called the Square. The square governs the obscure; the circular governs the bright. The bright emits "qi", and for this reason fire is the external brilliance of the sun. The obscure sucks in "qi", and for this reason water is the internal luminosity of the moon. Emitted "qi" endows; retained "qi" transforms. Thus yang endows and yin transforms. The unbalanced "qi" of Heaven and Earth, becoming perturbed, causes wind; the harmonious "qi" of Heaven and Earth, becoming calm,