Mirrors on the Moon

[Zelos]

I couldn't decide where to put this, but I guess this would probably be best. But anyway, on to the question.

I was pondering on what effects putting mirrors on the entire face of the visible moon would have on the environment. I frequently wonder about stuff like this. I've already come to some conclusions, but I'll post them later. Also, first post, so be kind if I goofed something up.

[Mr Skeptic]

It would be easier to put mirrors in space (they wouldn't require structural support, and you wouldn't have to waste fuel landing them on the moon). In any case, if you want to make a huge bright thing lots of people will complain.

[Zelos]

Not just for purposes of annoyance, but to destabilize Earth's ecosystem. The increased duration of sunlight would affect plant life, causing it to grow faster, especially plankton which could cause an over abundance of it, causing increased methane from it, resulting in global warming. Or not. But it seems pretty interesting to me, and if we didn't, you know, live on earth it would be interesting to do.

[iNow]

Seems like this would be an awfully big disco ball for a bunch of people tripping at night.

 

 

Wouldn't it also reflect light generated by us down here on earth, making nighttime almost nonexistent?

[Zelos]

Hm... I doubt the reflected light from us would have that much of an effect. But it would be very interesting to try. If, you know, it was feasible.

[swansont]

The moon's average albedo is 0.12, so mirrors will make it about 8 times brighter. But that will still wax and wane with the lunar cycles.

[mooeypoo]

I couldn't decide where to put this, but I guess this would probably be best. But anyway, on to the question.

I was pondering on what effects putting mirrors on the entire face of the visible moon would have on the environment. I frequently wonder about stuff like this. I've already come to some conclusions, but I'll post them later. Also, first post, so be kind if I goofed something up.

 

Actually, there are mirrors on the surface of the moon.

 

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/21jul_llr.htm

 

Not covering the entire surface, but spread around in a pattern. The point is to see the "wobbling" of the moon and tests with lasers, speed of light, etc.

 

It's kinda nifty.

 

~moo

 

p.s

 

I have to run off to work so I dont have time to do this, but it sounds like an awesome practice in math -- we know the brightness of the sun, the angles of light that are spread on the surface of the moon each day of the month, the distance between the sun and the moon and the distance between us and the moon.

 

Calculating how much light would be on the earth's surface (+ energy, etc) shouldn't be that hard.

 

I'll try it out when I have a bit more time, but if any of you guys are up to beatin me to it (i suck at math... theory is more my "thang") it could be quite fun and interesting

[Mr Skeptic]

What if instead of mirrors we just threw a bunch of very bright powder down there?

[Zelos]

Powder would be a lot easier to transport and set up. I also suck at math.

[Daecon]

Sequins!

[Zelos]

Lol. That would look really cool from earth.

[chemkid]

A process called hypereutrohphication could perhaps occur, with devastating affects. The increased sunlight would increase algae and bacteria growth in ponds as would a large amount of nitrates and phosphates in the water. This is called an algae bloom. Then the algae would die eventually. There death and decay would suck the dissolved oxygen out of the water and suffocate all the oxygen dependent organisms in the lake. If this process where to continue i would think it would render most water bodies lifeless except for extremophiles.

 

Chemkid

[Zelos]

A process called hypereutrohphication could perhaps occur, with devastating affects. The increased sunlight would increase algae and bacteria growth in ponds as would a large amount of nitrates and phosphates in the water. This is called an algae bloom. Then the algae would die eventually. There death and decay would suck the dissolved oxygen out of the water and suffocate all the oxygen dependent organisms in the lake. If this process where to continue i would think it would render most water bodies lifeless except for extremophiles.

 

Chemkid

 

I know, an excellent plan to destroy the world is it not? Mwahahaha.

 

Oh, forgot to say, but you know those mirrors they already have on the moon that they bounce lasers off? All the pics of the ones on the moon I've seen are flat. So they would need to align them just right or the laser would bounce off the wrong way. So how do they align them? I sense a conspiracy...

EDIT: Nvm, they use corner cube reflectors.

 

So anyone want to donate for putting mirrors on the moon? World destruction is fuuun!