Astro geologist wrote:
Disc, not sphere wrote:
Is the moon flat like the earth is?
The moon is actually a chunk of the earth knocked off by a giant asteroid, so duhhhhh,
of course the moon is flat, just like the earth.
This is close, but strictly speaking, not correct. The earth is in some respects 'flat', but including its atmosphere, is more "dome-shaped", and is mostly flat on the bottom. It is shaped kind of like a scone, or maybe a baked potato, if those approximate analogies help. The moon, on the other hand, is more like a wheel of cheddar. It has flat surfaces on each side, but is somewhat evenly thick all the way across. That makes it easier to slice, as we can see in the sky each month, as the gods or space aliens or whatever cheese-loving extra-terrestrials are up there seem to like to do. Likewise, the earth's shape makes it easier to sit on the back of the turtle that holds it up.
Glad I could help sort out some of the technical details in this fruitful discussion. I am especially glad to see the level of discourse here at LR be elevated a bit. It's good to get some science education while enjoying the great world of distance running! As always, expect great things!