Spacey

[purezero]

I was at my godbrother's birthday party thing. He's still in grade school, so he's naturally running around with his friends, playing video games, and hanging out with my brother and my cousin. So usually, I'm all on my lonesome.

Anyway, I was flipping through the channels on TV and I land on this show about these kids who hang out in a treehouse and explore scientific questions about stuff. They were learning about the solar system. It was pretty bad acting, rather corny, but informational. I don't remember getting this stuff when I was in grade school.

So they talked about the chemical compositions of the various planets' atmospheres. How do they figure this stuff out? Aren't the outer planets EXTREMELY far away?

They also said that the gravitational pull of the moon slows the Earth's spin by some really tiny number, like, 0.0000000000000061 or something like that. So after so many years, would it be possible that the Earth stop spinning? I mean, I wouldn't be alive then (or would it?), but that made me think.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

So they talked about the chemical compositions of the various planets' atmospheres. How do they figure this stuff out? Aren't the outer planets EXTREMELY far away?
It could be done by examining the spectrum of light reflected from the planet. Different gases will bend/reflect different wavelengths. Either they did that, or they just sent a probe there with a chemistry kit.

They also said that the gravitational pull of the moon slows the Earth's spin by some really tiny number, like, 0.0000000000000061 or something like that. So after so many years, would it be possible that the Earth stop spinning?
Eventually, that's about what's gonna happen; the Earth will become tidally locked with the moon, so that the Earth's surface rotates at the exact same rate as the Moon's orbit (e.g. a single day will be a month long). Of course, long before that the earth will become unlivable because of changes in the tides and the wild temperature swings between day and night, so you don't need to worry anyway.

[purezero]

So if the Earth can stop spinning, could other planets with moons stop spinning as well?

[mr. x]

the lower half of your face is HOT HOT HOT

[Tao]

the lower half of your face is HOT HOT HOT

hahahaha, that was so unexpected, i burst out laughing.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

So if the Earth can stop spinning, could other planets with moons stop spinning as well?
Well, eventually they will. Pluto will probably stop spinning before us cuz their moon is so much larger relative to the planet. But after that, we're next in line. Then Mars with its two little moons.

The gas giants will probably never stop spinning before the Sun blows up, cuz all their moons are so tiny and light compared to the planet, and they're all going every different direction so their effect is even smaller.

[purezero]

Wow. I'm trying to comprehend this happening, but it's not working. Such a long time away, I suppose.

What affect would the planets not spinning have on the rest of the solar system?