When I consider thy heavens,
the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which thou hast ordained;
Psalm 8:3
"The earth is the only terrestrial planet with a relatively large satellite. None of the outer planets have a satellite so close to its own size, either. While it’s true that the moon is smaller than the earth, the other planets’ satellites are many thousands of times smaller than their respective planets.
Here’s what is interesting. Most major satellites orbit on a plane that matches the planet’s rotation along its equator. (Again, Triton is an exception.) Many minor satellites orbit this way too, though some have extreme elliptical orbits with odd paths around their planet—some like Triton even revolve backward with respect to their planet’s rotation. The moon doesn’t fit any of these categories.
However, the moon orbits on a plane that nearly matches the plane of the earth’s revolution around the sun. No other satellite orbits in the same plane that its planet revolves around the sun. Not one out of 175.
This fact has a profound effect on the earth, suggesting design. The earth needs to maintain its tilt in order to have the changing seasons and keep temperatures fairly balanced around the globe. But other bodies in the solar system exert a small gravitational pull that slowly tends to tweak the earth’s axial tilt. Left unchecked, the earth’s tilt would gradually change.
.....the moon’s unique large size compared to earth and its unique orbit in the same plane that the earth orbits the sun.
These two factors combine to allow the moon to stabilize the earth’s tilt to within two degrees. Both factors must be in play for this stabilizing force to work. This is the only planet where this is possible, and since life appears unique to earth, this is the only planet where it matters." AIG
the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which thou hast ordained;
Psalm 8:3
"The earth is the only terrestrial planet with a relatively large satellite. None of the outer planets have a satellite so close to its own size, either. While it’s true that the moon is smaller than the earth, the other planets’ satellites are many thousands of times smaller than their respective planets.
Here’s what is interesting. Most major satellites orbit on a plane that matches the planet’s rotation along its equator. (Again, Triton is an exception.) Many minor satellites orbit this way too, though some have extreme elliptical orbits with odd paths around their planet—some like Triton even revolve backward with respect to their planet’s rotation. The moon doesn’t fit any of these categories.
However, the moon orbits on a plane that nearly matches the plane of the earth’s revolution around the sun. No other satellite orbits in the same plane that its planet revolves around the sun. Not one out of 175.
This fact has a profound effect on the earth, suggesting design. The earth needs to maintain its tilt in order to have the changing seasons and keep temperatures fairly balanced around the globe. But other bodies in the solar system exert a small gravitational pull that slowly tends to tweak the earth’s axial tilt. Left unchecked, the earth’s tilt would gradually change.
.....the moon’s unique large size compared to earth and its unique orbit in the same plane that the earth orbits the sun.
These two factors combine to allow the moon to stabilize the earth’s tilt to within two degrees. Both factors must be in play for this stabilizing force to work. This is the only planet where this is possible, and since life appears unique to earth, this is the only planet where it matters." AIG