Can the Moon Survive A Crash Like The One That Created It?

WESTMINSTER, Calif. - Jan. 31, 2016 - PRLog -- Probably not according to the author of new science fiction novel RUNAWAY MOON. The book depicts a monstrous crash between the moon and a rogue dwarf planet that’s reminiscent of the epic collision scientists believe originally formed Earth’s only moon 4.5 billion years ago.

That fiery head-on collision between an infant planet Earth and a rogue protoplanet named Theia created the moon. Theia was roughly half the size of Earth. RUNAWAY MOON describes a rogue dwarf planet nicknamed Diablo that's about half the size of our moon when its strikes. Some scientists have theorized that it would take an object approximately the same size as the moon to destroy it.

“What if that object was smaller but three times harder, denser and moving twenty-five times faster? What if we’re all so worried about stuff hitting Earth directly that we don’t even consider the potentially dire consequences of something that size hitting the moon?”

The author spent months researching potential moon destruction scenarios and how they might affect life on Earth. That’s when he learned about rogue dwarf planets and NASA’s technologically limited ability to detect and monitor near-Earth objects. NASA admits that it cannot monitor the entirety of space around Earth simultaneously without sufficient funding to advance its detection and early warning capabilities. Thus far, the agency has only identified about ten percent of the possible threats from asteroids and meteorites.

"What would happen if today's moon suffered the same fate as early Earth? Would it survive? We take it for granted that it would. After all, it has suffered through 4.5 billion years of continuous bombardment yet it still orbits Earth as reliably as a Swiss watch,” says Edgar.

RUNAWAY MOON offers a frightening, scientifically plausible moon destruction scenario. In 2029, just thirteen years from now, the dwarf planet Diablo sneaks undetected past NASA’s limited near-Earth object (NEO) surveillance system. By the time NASA’s instruments see it, it’s too late. Diablo narrowly misses Earth but crushes the moon at 50,000 mph, sending most of the broken, ringed derelict off into deep space. Unfortunately, the resulting impact rains huge chunks of moon-Diablo debris down on our planet within a matter of minutes, leading to a relentless chain reaction of catastrophic events that will lead to our sixth and possibly final mass extinction.

“It’s a chilling prospect,” says Edgar. "Once the moon is destroyed so violently, the question becomes how will Earth and the remaining Earthlings survive?"

–END–

Read free sample of RUNAWAY MOON here:
http://www.amazon.com/RUNAWAY-MOON-Howard-Brian-Edgar-ebo...